NEW DELHI: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday accused the Centre of “continuously attempting to financially strangle” the state, further announcing a satyagraha protest on January 12 against the “economic blockade” .Speaking to the reporters, Vijayan said, “The central government is continuously attempting to financially strangle Kerala. Since 2017, the Centre has been implementing cutbacks by including amounts from the Public Account while fixing reductions in the State’s permissible borrowing limit.” “In protest against the central government’s economic blockade against Kerala, a satyagraha protest will be organised on January 12 at the Martyrs’ Column in Thiruvananthapuram, with the participation of Ministers, MLAs and MPs. The support of everyone is requested for this protest,” he added.The Kerala CM also criticised the Centre’s and the Congress’ foreign policy approach to the US military operation in Venezuela that removed Nicolás Maduro.“Instead of viewing with seriousness the imperialist move that has shocked the human conscience, the central government is displaying an eagerness to trivialize it and to demonstrate subservience to the United States. In the statement issued by the ministry of external affairs in this regard, even the name of the United States was not mentioned,” he asserted.“The central government is unable even to register a protest against the American President, who makes statements every day that insult India and our sovereignty,” the CM alleged.Further taking a swipe at the Congress, Vijayan said “the party, which claims to be the principal opposition party of the country, is also moving along the same path.”“Even while American President Donald Trump is repeatedly threatening India by saying that he will once again raise import tariffs, we have seen the Congress government in Telangana displaying competitive enthusiasm to even construct a road in Trump’s name. No one is surprised by this.” he added.The Kerela CM further remarked, “Only those who once carried out a coup disguised as a so-called ‘liberation struggle’ that was planned by the CIA with American funding can behave in this manner.” “Disregarding the sovereignty of Venezuela, American imperialism has intruded into that country and has even taken the head of that nation into custody. The United States is preparing to overthrow the elected government and to suffocate the people through sanctions and blockades.” he added.Calling the situation alarming, Vijayan said, “Extraordinary incidents are taking place in the world,” referring to the crisis in Venezuela. He further warned that, “what happened in Venezuela today can happen in any other country in the world tomorrow. This is an issue that should cause concern to each and every one of us.”

Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez slammed the United States for the “false” claims about drugs, democracy, and human rights and said that these have been used as excuses for one real goal: “oil.“While addressing the Venezuelan Parliament, Rodriguez said they are open to energy relations where all parties benefit, where economic cooperation is clearly defined in commercial contracts.This remarks came after Trump said that the US is receiving full cooperation from Venezuela’s regime and will control the country and its vast oil reserves for years. Caracas was giving Washington “everything that we feel is necessary” and the US would remain a political overlord there for an indefinite period, the US president said.In a video, going viral, Rodriguez said, “We are an energy powerhouse, we truly are. It has brought us tremendous problems, because you all know that the energy greed of the North wants resource of our country. And we have denounced it all the falsehoods about drug trafficking, democracy, and human rights. They were the excuses because what has always been present is the (threat) that Venezuela’s oil must be handed over to the global North.”Rodríguez also said that her government is open to energy partnerships and commercial agreements with other nations, highlighting the country’s vast oil and gas reserves and willingness to work within international law.“And here we are, our stance has been very clear. Venezuela is open to energy relations where all parties benefit, where economic cooperation is clearly defined in commercial contracts. This is our stance as it the diversity of our energy relations,” she added.Earlier, Venezuela’s interim president defended plans to open up her country’s oil market to Washington.Rodríguez said on Wednesday that the US attack to remove her predecessor, Nicolás Maduro, had put a “stain” on the countries’ relations, but that it was “not unusual or irregular” to trade with the US, adding that Venezuela was “open to energy relations where all parties benefit”.US forces seized a pair of sanctions-hit tankers on Wednesday and the administration announced it would manage all sales of Venezuela’s future crude production and oversee the sale of the country’s petroleum worldwide.

Two killed and six others were injured in a shooting outside a Mormon church in Salt Lake City, where mourners were attending a memorial service, police said. The attacker remains at large, and authorities say they are reviewing surveillance footage to identify a suspect.The Salt Lake City police department, in a post on X, shared the incident, notifying their presence at scene. “2 people were killed, and at least 6 more have been injured, with at least 3 of those in critical condition. The suspects are still outstanding, but our officers have obtained solid leads and are working to locate those involved,” the post read.The police also intimated the road closure, stating, “Redwood Road is closed in both directions from 500 N to 700 N.” They also shared the helpline number for more information on the matter.Police said all eight victims were adults news agency AP reported. Investigators stressed that the shooting did not appear to target the Latter-day Saints faith, nor was it considered random.“We don’t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,” police chief Brian Redd said. Police said they were reviewing license plate readers and surveillance videos from nearby businesses as part of the manhunt.Mayor Erin Mendenhall condemned the incident, saying, “This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life.”The violence unfolded in the back parking lot of a red brick meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church. Residents of a housing complex next door rushed outside to assist. Sharing his account from the incident, Brennan McIntire, who heard gunfire while watching TV, said he ran outside in flip-flops.“As soon as I came over, I saw someone on the ground. People are attending to him and crying and arguing,” he said. His wife, Kenna, described seeing first responders carry an unconscious woman into an ambulance. “It was really heartbreaking to hear and see,” she said.The church said it was cooperating with law enforcement and expressed grief.“We extend prayers for all who have been impacted by this tragedy and express deep concern that any sacred space intended for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind,” spokesperson Sam Penrod said.

Renee Nicole Good lived a few blocks from where she died. She was 37, a US-born citizen, a poet, and a mother of three. On a winter morning in south Minneapolis, during a large federal immigration enforcement operation, she was shot and killed by an officer from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while seated inside her car.Within hours, federal officials said the shooting was justified. An investigation was announced, but a definitive account was already being presented.

The Good: Renee Nicole Good – mother and poet

Renee Nicole Good (Image/Instagram)

Renee Good was a Minneapolis resident with no known connection to immigration enforcement. According to reporting by Minnesota Public Radio News, she was a mother raising three children, a writer who had studied English and creative writing, and someone known in her neighbourhood for being thoughtful and engaged rather than confrontational.Family members and neighbours told local reporters that she was not participating in protests or attempting to interfere with law enforcement on the day of the shooting. She was described as someone who had recently been navigating significant personal change, including the loss of her former spouse, while focusing on caring for her children and settling into daily life in the city.Her citizenship is relevant context. ICE’s mandate centres on immigration enforcement involving non-citizens. While citizenship does not itself determine whether force was lawful, encounters between federal immigration agents and US citizens fall outside the agency’s primary enforcement purpose and heighten expectations around caution and de-escalation.

The Bad: What happened during the incident

People participate in a protest in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a Federal immigration officer this morning in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

The shooting occurred on Portland Avenue amid what federal authorities described as a major ICE operation in the Twin Cities. MPR News obtained and authenticated multiple videos and eyewitness accounts from the scene.According to those accounts, several ICE vehicles were present, and agents approached Good’s car as it was stopped in the street. Eyewitnesses told MPR News that agents issued conflicting commands, with one officer telling Good to leave the area while another ordered her to get out of the vehicle and reached for the door handle.Witnesses said Good attempted to manoeuvre her car away from the cluster of vehicles and officers. As the car began to move, an ICE officer standing near the front and side of the vehicle fired multiple shots into the car at close range, striking her in the head. The vehicle then continued forward briefly before crashing into a parked object.Several witnesses told MPR News they did not see the car strike any officers before shots were fired. They also reported that neighbours who attempted to render medical aid were ordered to stay back and that emergency responders initially had difficulty accessing the scene due to the positioning of federal vehicles.ICE later said officers believed the vehicle posed an immediate threat. Local officials and witnesses disputed that account, saying the available footage and testimony suggested confusion and attempted withdrawal rather than an attack.

The Ugly: How the shooting was justified

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks to local land owners and other officials on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Brownsville, Texas. (AP Photo/Gabriel V. Cardenas)

Even as investigations were being announced, senior Trump administration officials moved quickly to publicly defend the shooting.US president Donald Trump stated that the ICE officer had acted in self-defence and claimed that Good had deliberately attempted to run officers over. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed that assessment, describing the scene as involving a “mob of agitators” and characterising the use of the vehicle as a lethal threat. Federal statements framed the shooting as a necessary defensive action and said ICE operations in Minneapolis would continue.The language used went beyond acknowledging an inquiry. It asserted conclusions about intent and justification before investigators had completed interviews, reviewed all video evidence, or released formal findings.State and local leaders responded sharply. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey rejected the federal account and called for ICE to leave the city. Minnesota governor Tim Walz said state officials had warned that intensified federal operations carried public safety risks and described the shooting as the result of unnecessary escalation. Representative Ilhan Omar said federal actions had led directly to a civilian death.The incident has intensified scrutiny of ICE’s enforcement posture under President Trump, marked by large-scale deployments, armed agents in residential areas, and highly visible operations. Supporters argue the approach prioritises officer safety and deterrence. Critics say it increases the likelihood of volatile encounters and undermines public trust.

What comes next

Multiple investigations are now underway to determine whether the use of deadly force complied with constitutional standards and whether ICE officers acted within their authority. Those processes will take time. What is already clear is that a US citizen was killed during a federal operation, that political leaders offered a justification almost immediately, and that local officials and eyewitnesses have challenged that version of events. For Renee Good’s family and community, the legal outcomes remain uncertain. The loss is not.

Earlier, Banerjee rejected the allegations and accused the central agency of attempting to seize the TMC’s internal documents and election strategy (PTI photo)

NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate on Thursday accused West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of obstructing an ongoing money-laundering investigation, claiming that search operations were conducted “in a peaceful and professional manner till the arrival of the Bengal CM” along with senior state police officials.In a statement, the ED said it was carrying out searches at 10 premises, six in West Bengal and four in Delhi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with an alleged coal smuggling syndicate led by Anup Majee.

Also read: Mamata reaches I-PAC chief’s house, hits out at Amit Shah; asks ‘Is this home minister’s job?’The ED alleged that proceedings were disrupted after Banerjee arrived at the residence of Pratik Jain, the I-PAC chief, accompanied by a large number of police personnel. “Mamata Banerjee entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain and took away key evidences including physical documents and electronic devices,” the agency said. It further claimed that the chief minister’s convoy then moved to I-PAC’s office, from where “Banerjee, her aides, and state police personnel forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidences”.The agency said the investigation had uncovered links between the coal smuggling network and hawala operators, with proceeds of crime running into tens of crores of rupees. One such hawala operator, the ED claimed, had facilitated transactions to Indrapac Consulting Private Limited (I-PAC), a political consultancy firm associated with the Trinamool Congress.According to the ED, these actions resulted in obstruction of an ongoing investigation. The agency insisted that the searches were evidence-based, not targeted at any political establishment, and unrelated to elections. “No party office has been searched,” it said, adding that the operation was part of a routine crackdown on money laundering and conducted strictly in accordance with legal safeguards.Earlier, Banerjee rejected the allegations and accused the central agency of attempting to seize the TMC’s internal documents and election strategy. Speaking to reporters after visiting Jain’s residence and the I-PAC office in Salt Lake, she said ED officials were confiscating party documents, hard disks, laptops and mobile phones containing sensitive political data. “Is it the duty of the ED to collect political party data?” she asked, describing the searches as politically motivated and unconstitutional.Launching a sharp attack on the BJP leadership, Banerjee accused Union home minister Amit Shah of misusing central agencies to intimidate opposition parties. She alleged that the raid amounted to “political vendetta” and claimed the ED had begun searches early in the morning when no one was present at the office, allowing officials to access and copy election-related data.

Microsoft has vehemently denied widespread layoff rumors, with a top executive calling reports of up to 22,000 job cuts “completely false.” Speculation, fueled by past workforce reductions and a significant AI investment, suggested cuts across Azure, Xbox, and sales. However, the company insists these claims are entirely fabricated, aiming to quell anxieties about its future workforce.

Microsoft has aggressively pushed back against reports claiming the company plans to slash up to 22,000 jobs this month, with chief communications officer Frank Shaw directly calling the speculation completely false. The rumors started when investment site TipRanks reported Microsoft was preparing for widespread January layoffs affecting Azure Cloud, Xbox, and global sales teams—potentially cutting anywhere from 11,000 to 22,000 positions. As the claims spread across social media, Shaw stepped in with a definitive response: “100 percent made up / speculative / wrong,” on X.Windows Central had earlier indicated the reports were “false on the Xbox side at least,” before Shaw’s broader dismissal of the entire story.When met with skepticism in replies, he maintained his stance, telling one commenter he “eagerly awaits” the news he insists doesn’t exist.

Microsoft’s recent history with job cuts fuels speculation

The cynicism isn’t baseless. Microsoft has executed several brutal rounds of job cuts over the past year and a half, eliminating more than 15,000 positions throughout 2025. The most recent wave came last July when roughly 9,000 employees were let go, accompanied by studio closures and canceled game projects. Xbox chief Phil Spencer defended those decisions as essential for the company’s future, citing the need for greater operational efficiency.Microsoft’s $80 billion commitment to AI infrastructure—triple the previous year’s investment—has created widespread anxiety about where the money’s coming from. CEO Satya Nadella has openly called the company’s size a “massive disadvantage,” while setting what many consider unrealistic profit margins for Xbox. These factors have created a climate where layoff speculation finds fertile ground.

Why January became the focus of layoff rumors

Anonymous posts on the professional network Blind claimed middle management and legacy teams would be let go, while AI researchers would stay protected. The chatter drew additional attention from Microsoft’s history of January workforce changes, but Shaw’s strong denial suggests 2026 won’t mirror that pattern—at least not on the rumored scale. Windows Central sources had already noted rumors of early-2026 layoffs circulating internally before this latest speculation, making Shaw’s clear statement all the more meaningful for anxious employees.