BBC News Briefing

16 January, 2026

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. Tensions have been running high in the US state of Minnesota since an immigration agent fatally shot a woman last week. We have the latest. China correspondent Stephen McDonell reports on the surprising response to a woman's plea for help slaughtering pigs. Try this week's news quiz and, finally, watch two friends recreate an iconic scene from ET.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Democrats condemn 'reckless' ICE raids

A masked protester stands facing a police officer in a gas mask with an upside American flag in the background

Protests have taken place outside the Whipple Building, which has become a de-facto ICE headquarters. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Democrat lawmakers have denounced Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations during a field hearing in Minneapolis, where protests have continued following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. Correspondent Tom Bateman witnessed a lengthy stand-off between protesters and police on Thursday. Later, videos showed tear gas being fired at the crowd. On Friday, US President Donald Trump appeared to reference an earlier threat to invoke the Insurrection Act to deal with protests, writing on his social media platform that they could be solved "quickly". But speaking to reporters later, he said: "I don't think there's any reason right now to use it." Find an explainer on the rarely used 19th Century law here.

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GET UP TO SPEED

A view of houses covered by snow in the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk

Trump threatens tariffs on Greenland takeover critics

The US president has threatened to place tariffs on nations that do not support his ambitions to annex Greenland.

What to know >

Two policemen in red crash helmet stand in front of brick wall with old posters of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni against a yellow background.

Uganda's president heads for victory in election

Opposition candidate Bobi Wine, who says he has been placed under house arrest, has told supporters to ignore the "fake results".

What happened >

Machado believes 'right time' to lead will come

María Corina Machado said she was confident there would be an "orderly transition" in Venezuela.

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NEWS FROM THE UK

Craig Guildford: The West Midlands Police chief has retired after criticism of a decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match.

Copycat attacker: A teenager inspired by the Southport killer planned to target a children's dance class and a Oasis concert.

Single-sex space: A tribunal has found hospital bosses violated the dignity of a group of female nurses who complained about a changing room policy.

AT THE SCENE

Bashmaq border crossing, Iraqi Kurdistan

Border crossing offers view into Iran

Scene at Iraqi border with Iran, as a vehicle and people pass through a crossing point in the snow

Iran has shut down the internet and blocked phone calls, but its borders are still open. Credit: Fred Scott/BBC

Iran's regime has treated recent protests as an existential threat. Its brutal crackdown seems to be working, and protesters are now thought to be largely staying at home, for fear of being shot or arrested. But several people at a border crossing told the BBC that demonstrations had continued, at least into this week.

Lucy Williamson, Middle East correspondent

Thick snowflakes fall on the lorries and pedestrians arriving at this remote mountain pass. Metres away, just beyond the border post, an Iranian flag flutters in the snow. Inside the arrivals hall, we find dozens of men, women and children – many arriving to visit family on the Iraqi side of the border.

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No-one we met said they were fleeing Iran because of the recent protests and government crackdown, but one man, who asked us to hide his identity, told us security forces had shot him during a protest in central Iran last Friday. "I was hit in the face by seven pellet rounds," he said, pointing out several weals and bruises on his face. "I had to use a razor blade to cut one of the pellets out."

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BBC Verify: Distressing videos from a mortuary in Tehran show crowds of people searching for loved ones amid rows of bodies.

Reza Pahlavi: The exiled son of the last Iranian shah has called on the world to help protesters topple Iran's government.

Analysis: Special correspondent, BBC Persian's Kasra Naji writes about what Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, might do next.

PICK OF THE WEEK