Tag Archives: oceania

What the Greenland dispute means for NATO – and the future of Europe

It's winter in the northern hemisphere, and the weather is reflecting the frosty mood between Donald Trump and some of his key allies.

The US president has made it clear he wants the Arctic island of Greenland to come under his control, but he is being rebuffed by both the autonomous territory and Denmark, a NATO ally that still administers it.

NATO nations, including the UK, France and Spain, have stood behind Greenland, with fears the disagreement could lead to the US leaving the crucial alliance.

READ MORE: The shadowy group of volunteers walking the streets, killing civilians

Greenland is home to just over 56,000 residents.

So will Trump make a decisive move to take over Greenland and what would that look like for the NATO alliance, Europe and beyond?

Why does the US want Greenland?

It's easy to wonder why an icy European island with a population of just 56,000 people is so coveted by the mightiest country on earth, but it holds great strategic importance.

Its location between the US and Europe is key, as it sits in a corridor called the GIUK gap, a maritime passage between Greenland, Iceland and the UK.

READ MORE: Iran slams airspace shut as death toll climbs

Greenland's importance is underlined by its abundance of natural resources.

It links the Arctic to the Atlantic Ocean, making it a vital shipping route when considering Greenland's natural resources.

The island holds large deposits of oil, gas and rare earth minerals, which are hugely important in a geopolitical context as the US faces a battle to stay on top of China.

They are also critical to the world economy, used in the manufacture of electric cars, wind turbines and military equipment.

Will the US leave NATO over the Greenland dispute?

Trump has threatened to pull out of the NATO alliance before, including at the end of 2024, when he cited low defence spending numbers of several allies.

He has not specifically threatened to leave the 77-year alliance during the latest Greenland dispute, dodging the question when asked by reporters in recent days.

"You don't know what I'm going to do," he said in response to questions of whether he would leave NATO.

"I wouldn't be telling you what I'm willing to do – certainly I'm not going to give up options – but it's very important."

READ MORE: FBI raids journalist's home in 'extraordinary, aggressive' move

US President Donald Trump has made strong demands of Denmark surrounding the fate of Greenland.

Laws drafted in before Trump's second term prohibit him from removing the US from the alliance without approval of a two-thirds Senate super-majority or an act of Congress.

But you also aren't supposed to capture a sitting head of state of another country in the dead of night, and Trump seemed comfortable breaking those rules in Venezuela.

Can NATO survive without the US?

Ask many key European leaders and officials, and they will tell you the US is the bedrock of the NATO alliance.

A key issue is Article 5 in the treaty, which says an attack on one is an attack on all.

With Greenland part of Denmark, and Denmark being a NATO member, this creates a clear problem.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was frank in her view on the matter.

READ MORE: 'Tripwires' passed – is this the fall of the Islamic Republic in Iran?

"If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops," Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 last week.

"That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War."

Trump also seems to think NATO wouldn't last should the US pull out, judging by his comments yesterday.

"I'm the one that saved NATO," he said on Air Force One.

How have Russia and China reacted to the Greenland dispute?

Russia and China are clearly a motivator for Trump's hawkish instincts on Greenland, as he claims matters of national security.

"NATO should be leading the way for us to get it [Greenland]. IF WE DON'T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!" he wrote on Truth Social this week.

China has an Arctic policy called the Polar Silk Road, launched in 2018, but a spokesperson for the government insisted their goals weren't military.

READ MORE: Trump freezes immigrant visas for 75 countries in latest crackdown

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on key parameters of draft state armament for 2027-2036, in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

"China's activities in the Arctic are aimed at promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and are in accordance with international law," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said earlier this week.

On the Russian side, top officials have made cryptic remarks regarding their views on Greenland.

"Trump needs to hurry. According to unverified information, in a few days there could be a sudden referendum, at which the entire 55,000-strong Greenland could vote to join Russia," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said earlier this week, according to Interfax.

Any turbulence with NATO would no doubt help Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war in Ukraine, with the alliance being a key supporter of the country Putin has been at war with since 2022.

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Iran slams airspace shut as death toll climbs

Iran has closed its airspace amid the mounting death toll from anti-government protests, triggering flight chaos across the Middle East and neighbouring regions.

Images from Flightradar24 show no aircraft flying over Iran, with the closure advisory valid for a little over two hours.

Exceptions may be made for select international flights into or out of Iran that have been granted permission from Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation.

READ MORE: 'Tripwires' passed – is this the fall of the Islamic Republic in Iran?

Flights appear to be skirting Iran's borders after it closed its airspace today.

Live tracking data from the Flightradar24 website show flights hugging Iran's borders to avoid the nation's airspace.

Some international airlines have also reported plans to avoid Iranian airspace for the time being.

Air India is rerouting flights over the region to keep passengers safe.

It said in a post on X that "alternative routes" may cause delays and, where rerouting wasn't possible, cancellations.

Lufthansa, a German Airline, announced plans to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace "due to the current situation in the Middle East" shortly before Iran closed its airspace today.

Agence France-Presse reported Lufthansa would bypass the airspace "until further notice".

President Donald Trump speaks as he meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington.

Some US military personnel have also been evacuated from a base in nearby Qatar as concerns grow that President Donald Trump's administration could launch military action against Iran.

Smartraveller.gov.au, the Australian Government's official travel resource, urged Australians to leave Iran on Monday while it was still possible.

Those who choose to remain against government advice have been told they are responsible for their own safety.

The death toll from ongoing protests is estimated to be in the thousands.

"Security forces' response to protests has been severe, and many protesters and bystanders have been injured, killed or detained," the latest advice read.

"Australians, including dual nationals, are at a high risk of being detained."

The Australian embassy's operations in Iran have been are suspended and its ability to provide consular assistance is extremely limited.

US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported that more than 2600 people have been killed in the ongoing protests.

However, information coming out of Iran is difficult to independently verify due to government media censorship and telecommunications blackouts.

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‘Listen to us, work with us’: Police ask weekend protesters to cooperate despite ban

Police have asked for cooperation as they reveal they will be carrying long-arm rifles as Sydney activists prepare to take to the streets this weekend, despite a city-wide ban on protests still in place.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said police "understand and empathise" that it is a globally volatile time at the moment and will work beside people who wish to take to the streets to exercise their free speech.

"We are a very multicultural society," he said.

READ MORE: US federal officer shoots man in Minneapolis, a week after Renee Good was killed

Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna.

"We're not a political organisation, NSW Police.

"We facilitated about a thousand protests in the CBD in Sydney last year.

"Do the right thing, listen to us, work with us, you'll be able to have your public assembly.

"No doubt you'll get the media attention that you want."

One of the protests set to take to the streets tomorrow is a repeal of the NSW government's anti-protest laws, as well as a rebuttal of the prime minister's invitation for Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit Australia.

Another is a march calling for a new corruption inquiry into Aboriginal deaths in custody, slated for January 18.

READ MORE: 'We apologise': Axed Palestinian author reinvited to future Adelaide Writers' Week

The protest is set to take place this Friday.

McKenna said NSW Police are not accepting Form 1 protests at this stage.

"Form 1s give people protection from the Summary Offences Act," he said.

"It means that people can't be prosecuted for impeding vehicles, blocking roadways, people on the footpaths, those sorts of things."

People are still able to gather in places such as parks that do not impede other people and vehicles, however, a strong police presence will be in place.

READ MORE: Denmark still has 'fundamental disagreement' with Trump over Greenland

"At the end of the day, it is all about public safety for us," McKenna said.

"It's also understanding we've just come off the back of the most horrific terrorist incident that Australia has ever seen.

"There may well be police with long arms just because of the current threat environment we are in."

McKenna said the carrying of long-arm rifles is due to a general risk, rather than the risk the protests themselves may carry.

"I think the community is getting more and more used to seeing them," he said.

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Albanese’s hate and antisemitism bill knocked back before it even enters parliament

The federal government's proposed hate and gun laws have been knocked down before even entering parliament, after the Coalition and Greens came out in opposition to them.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley earlier today said the Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism bill aimed at responding to the December 14 attack at Bondi was "unsalvageable" as she confirmed the Liberals and Nationals will vote it down.

The Greens have followed and said they will not support it in its current form either.

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"This bill is broad, it is vast, and it is really complex, and we need to make sure that it is scrutinised and we do our due diligence on this bill," Greens Deputy Leader Mehreen Faruqi said this afternoon.

"Our society should be one that rejects hatred and racism in all its forms.

"Whether it is a queer person who is attacked for who they love, if it's a Muslim woman in a hijab, or a Jewish man in his Kippah, or a trans person for their gender identity."

The Greens will be seeking to widen the bill to cover all religions and types of hate. 

Meanwhile, the opposition will counter the proposed laws with different measures to combat antisemitism in the arts, education and broader society and enshrine a definition of antisemitism in law.

"The opposition will continue to scrutinise this legislation carefully, but from what we have seen so far, it looks pretty unsalvageable," Ley said earlier this morning.

"As it stands, the government's proposal is half-baked, and Australians deserve far better."

Ley claimed the proposed changes do not address the root issue of the Bondi attack.

"We have got this bundle of measures heading in many different directions, criticised in a very valid way by a whole range of people, but not actually addressing the issue," Ley added.

"Parliament should have been reconvened before Christmas to actually demonstrate leadership, compassion and the determination that I have spoken of every day since to tackle radical Islamic extremism and eradicate antisemitism."

READ MORE: 'We apologise': Axed Palestinian author reinvited to future Adelaide Writers' Week

AFR Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley Press Coneference Thursday 15th January 2026 Melbourne Photo by Eamon Gallagher

The Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism bill includes a package of reforms that target both hate speech and firearms, including a gun buyback scheme, stricter gun control rules, harsher penalties for hate speech and stricter migration rules.

It would also create a new offence for hate preachers radicalising children and inciting hatred to intimidate and harass, expand the ban on prohibited symbols and allow the Home Affairs department to lower the threshold for what is considered a hate organisation.

The bill will fail to pass parliament in its current form when politicians return to Canberra on Monday and Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Albanese said he has spoken regularly with Ley ahead of recalling parliament and constructively with Greens Leader Larissa Waters since releasing the draft bill on Tuesday.

"What we have done is worked through these issues in an orderly way, in a consultative way, we have released draft legislation in good faith, asking for comments to come forward," he said.

"I said, in doing that, we were open to amendments from across the parliament, or suggestions that were made as part of that process.

"This is a moment for national unity. This is a moment where people should be coming forward in good faith, and putting forward suggestions, engaging constructively."

Albanese called for parliament to come together.

READ MORE: Radical Islamic group defies attempts to disband it

Greens leader Senator Larissa Waters at a doorstop interview at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday 28 July 2025.

"There should be unanimous decisions of the Parliament, it's what I'm seeking, in good faith. And I call upon all members and senators to engage constructively, which is what the ECAJ have called for today," he said.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) backed the government's bill this morning, saying it is a "significant step in the right direction".

"We hope that the new laws will be passed and strengthened, and that the scourge of antisemitism, hate and extremism in our society will be neutralised," ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said.

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Victorians warned more devastating fires could arrive within weeks

More than 700 structures, including 228 homes, have damaged in Victoria's extreme bushfires, but authorities warn the peak bushfire season is still around the corner.

Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said those structures have either been destroyed or significantly damaged when last week's fires took hold of more than 410,000 hectares of land and triggered a state of disaster declaration.

"Within that number, 228 homes are now destroyed," he said at a press conference today.

READ MORE: Further $26 million in funding announced for flood-hit Queenslanders

Longwood fire

"Fifteen homes have been damaged, and we know there's over 450 outbuildings that have also been part of those numbers."

The Longwood fire claimed 142 homes, the Harcourt fire claimed 54, and the Walwa fire claimed nine.

Victoria Police are investigating the causes of major fires, including the Ravenswood South and Walwa blazes, while arson and explosives detectives probe the Longwood fire that claimed a man's life.

A police spokesperson said these investigations are complex, and it is premature to provide any further updates.

"As a consequence of the extreme weather events last week Victoria experienced a large number of fires, some of which are still burning," the spokesperson said. 

READ MORE: Tourist may never walk again after NYE tragedy at popular Aussie beach

A family is grateful to be alive after they were forced to huddle together inside a shipping container as flames tore through their home.Isabel Bafunno, 81, said they tried to put out the fire when it reached their remote Caveat property in Victoria, but "it was hopeless".

"At this time, the overwhelming majority of fires are believed to be as a result of natural causes."

The emergency bushfires of last week have eased, and now only 12 watch and act warnings remain in place for blazes around the state.

But County Fire Authority chief Jason Heffernan warned residents there could be similar devastating scenes in the coming weeks.

"My message to Victorians today is our peak fire danger is in February. Please don't think that this event is it," he said at a press conference today.

"There is every chance that we could see weather patterns come in the next couple of weeks.

READ MORE: Albanese's hate and antisemitism bill knocked back before it even enters parliament

Bushfire in Euroa in Victoria

"It could see a return of very hot conditions, very strong northerly winds, and again threaten more communities across Victoria."

The state and federal governments have today announced almost $82 million to restore and repair roads and public transport damaged in the fires, including barriers, signage and guardrails and cleaning up trees and debris.

Other state and federal support measures have exceeded $100 million.

"It's so important that we continue to stand with Harcourt and other fire-affected communities and support them on the long recovery journey ahead," Premier Jacinta Allan said. 

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One rescued, dozens of cars swallowed by flash flooding at Victorian holiday hotspot

A man has been rescued from a roof and dozens of cars have been swallowed by flash flooding after a deluge inundated a popular Victorian holiday hotspot.

Holidaymakers and locals in Wye River, Kennett River, Cumberland River and Lorne were forced to scramble to higher ground this afternoon after record rainfall lashed the area.

About 180mm of rain battered parts of Victoria's west coast in less than five hours, causing waterways including the Wye, Erskine and Cumberland Rivers to swell.

READ MORE: The 75 countries Trump is suspending immigrant visas from in latest crackdown

Wye River flooding

Dozens of cars, tents and caravans were swept up by the fast-moving rapids.

"They literally didn't have time… the kids were in the tent, unzip the tent, grab the kid out and then the tent was gone," witness Darren Schonewille said.

Roads have been flooded, including the famed Great Ocean Road, which is closed in both directions between Fairhaven and Skenes Creek.

An emergency warning remains in place for Wye River, Kennett River, Cumberland River, Lorne and surrounds.

"If you are located in Wye River, Kennett River, Cumberland River, Lorne and surrounds, you are in danger," a VicEmergency warning reads.

READ MORE: Victorian students' personal data exposed in major breach

"You should immediately move indoors and shelter, away from floodwater.

"Do not enter floodwater".

V/Line coach services that normally run along the Great Ocean Road are detouring inland, and will skip Kennet River and Wye River stops.

Homes and buildings have also been flooded, the State Emergency Service said.

A police helicopter winched a man in his 60s from a roof in Cumberland River.

A number of people reportedly sought refuge on the roof of the general store in Wye River.

They were able to make their way to the ground after waters receded, according to police.

Police and the SES flood response are coordinating a number of evacuations from caravan parks in Cumberland and Erskine River.

Wye River flooding

Thankfully, police do not believe anyone was inside vehicles that were swept to sea.

There are no current missing persons.

"Once the sirens started, it was pretty apocalyptic," witness Aaron Usas said.

"It wasn't so much the rain in Wye River, it was like flooding from the mountains."

Isolated storms unleash havoc on unsuspecting holidaymakers

Mt Cowley, about 700 metres above sea level, west of Lorne, has been lashed with 179mm of rain since 9am, including more than 45mm in one hour earlier today.

The downpour was sparked by storms which remained stationary over the surf coast for six hours.

It's the highest daily rainfall total seen in the area since 1954.

Cars underwater in Wye River flooding

Caravan parks caught off guard by floods

Nearby caravan parks in Wye River, Cumberland River and Lorne were swamped by rain, as holidaymakers were caught off guard by the storm.

"I've never seen anything like that, just incredible," Denise Watson said.

"There's people in tears – they just would've lost everything – and if you're just in a tent – yeah it would just be horrendous."

Campers at a nearby caravan park have been seen quickly packing their belongings as the storm bears down on the region. 

Authorities have warned landslides could occur as a result of the flooding.

The flash flood zone is about 75km east of two fires that triggered emergency evacuation warnings in the Otways last week.

"Last Thursday we were evacuated from here because of the potential fire risk and had to go home," Neil Watson said

"Then we come back and a week later it's flooding."

Community shelters have been opened in the following locations:

  • Stribling Reserve, 45 otway Street, Lorne
  • Apollo Bay Senior Citizens Centre, 4 Whelan Street, Apollo Bay
  • Wyer River Pub

The severe thunderstorm is expected to spread across to the Central and West and South Gippsland districts later this evening.

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Thailand suffers another construction accident, day after rail tragedy killed 32

A new construction accident on a road near Thailand's capital, Bangkok, was reported on Thursday, just 24 hours after a construction crane fell on a moving passenger train in the country's northeast, killing at least 32 people.

There was no immediate official confirmation of deaths in Thursday's accident, but the Facebook page of Fire & Rescue Thailand, which covers the activities of volunteer firefighters and rescue workers, said at least one person was killed.

The accident occurred at the site of an elevated road construction project.

READ MORE: Rescue workers pull survivors from mangled, overturned train carriages

Construction crane collapse Thailand

Meanwhile, the search for survivors from Wednesday's train accident in Nakhon Ratchasima province has ended, said provincial governor Anuphong Suksomnit. Officials said three passengers listed as missing were presumed to have gotten off the train earlier, but that was still being investigated.

Officials believed there had been 171 people aboard the train's three carriages, which were being removed from the scene on Thursday.

The latest accident on the outskirts of Bangkok saw a construction crane collapse on the Rama 2 Road elevated expressway in Samut Sakhon province at around 9am, according to the government's Public Relations Department, which added that two vehicles were trapped in the wreckage, which included massive metal girders.

Rescue operations were underway, the statement added.

The construction project, an extension of the Rama 2 Road expressway — a major artery leading from Bangkok — has become notorious in recent years for construction accidents, some of them fatal.

READ MORE: Denmark still has 'fundamental disagreement' with Trump over Greenland

Construction crane collapse Thailand

At the train accident scene in Nakhon Ratchasima, work to remove the wreckage continued on Thursday, after search and rescue operations concluded on Wednesday night. The accident saw a falling crane derail and crush parts of the train under it.

The authorities said the crane that fell was a launching gantry crane, a mobile piece of equipment often used in building elevated roadways.

Narongsak Promta, the provincial police chief of Nakhon Ratchasima, told reporters at the site that police are working to verify the status of all passengers to determine the status of the three people listed as missing.

He said police are still collecting evidence and interviewing relevant parties and have not yet pressed charges against any party.

Construction crane collapse Thailand

South Korea's Foreign Ministry reported that one South Korean national, a man in his late 30s, was among the dead. The ministry is providing consular services to the bereaved family.

The two-stage high-speed rail project on which the accident occurred has a total investment cost of more than 520 billion baht ($24.8 billion) and is associated with an ambitious plan to connect China with Southeast Asia under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.

In August 2024, a railway tunnel on the planned route, also in Nakhon Ratchasima, collapsed, killing three workers.

Anan Phonimdaeng, acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand, said the project's contractor is Italian-Thai Development, with a Chinese company responsible for design and construction supervision.

Construction crane collapse Thailand

A statement posted on the website of the company, also known as Italthai, expressed condolences to the victims and said the company would take responsibility for paying compensation to the families of the dead and hospitalisation expenses for the injured.

The rail accident sparked outrage because Italthai was also the co-lead contractor for the State Audit Building in Bangkok that collapsed during construction in March last year during a major earthquake.

About 100 people were killed in the collapse, which was the only major structure in Thailand to suffer such serious damage.

Dozens of executives were indicted in connection with the disaster but none have yet been tried.

Construction crane collapse Thailand

The involvement of Chinese companies in both projects has also drawn attention, as has Italthai and Chinese companies' involvement in the construction of several expressway extensions in and around Bangkok where several accidents, some fatal, have occurred.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday the government was aware of the reports about the rail accident and had expressed condolences.

It was not immediately clear which companies were involved in Thursday's road construction accident.

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Federal officer shoots man in Minneapolis

A person has been shot in the leg by a US federal officer in Minneapolis after allegedly being attacked with a shovel and broom handle while attempting to make an arrest.

It is the second law enforcement shooting in Minneapolis in less than ten days and occurred just 7km from where Renee Good was shot dead by an ICE agent on January 7.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on the social media platform X that US federal law enforcement officers stopped a person from Venezuela who was in the country illegally.

READ MORE: Denmark still has 'fundamental disagreement' with Trump over Greenland

Federal immigration officers at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

"The law enforcement officer caught up to the subject on foot and attempted to apprehend him when the subject began to resist and violently assault the officer," the DHS post read.

"While the subject and law enforcement were in a struggle on the ground, two subjects came out of a nearby apartment and also attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle."

The person allegedly drove away and crashed into a parked car before fleeing on foot, the DHS claimed.

"Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life," DHS said on X.

The officer who was attacked and the man who was shot are both in hospital.

The two people who came from the apartment are now in custody.

READ MORE: Federal government issues passport warning to dual citizens

Federal immigration officers shoot pepper balls as tear gas is deployed at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Clashes in court and on streets

Earlier this week, a judge gave the Trump administration time to respond to a request to suspend its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, while the Pentagon looked for military lawyers to join what has become a chaotic law enforcement effort in the state.

Plumes of tear gas, bursts of chemical irritants and the screech of protest whistles have become common on the streets of Minneapolis, especially since Good's shooting.

Agents have yanked people from cars and homes and been confronted by angry bystanders who are demanding that officers pack up and leave.

"What we need most of all right now is a pause. The temperature needs to be lowered," Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said during the first hearing in a lawsuit filed by Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul.

Local leaders say the government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights with the surge of law enforcement.

US District Judge Katherine Menendez promised to keep the case "on the front burner" and gave the US Justice Department until Monday to file a response to a request for a restraining order.

The judge said these are "grave and important matters," and that there are few legal precedents to apply to some of the key points in the case.

Justice Department attorney Andrew Warden suggested the approach set by Menendez was appropriate.

The judge is also handling a separate lawsuit challenging the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officers when they encounter protesters and observers.

A decision could be released this week.

During a televised speech Wednesday evening, Governor Tim Walz described Minnesota as being in chaos, saying what's happening in the state "defies belief".

"Let's be very, very clear, this long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement," he said.

"Instead, it's a campaign of organised brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government."

Walz added that "accountability" will be coming through the courts.

READ MORE: The 75 countries Trump is suspending immigrant visas from in latest crackdown

Law enforcement officers stand amid tear gas at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Military lawyers may join the surge

The Department of Homeland Security says it has made more than 2000 arrests in the state since early December and is vowing to not back down.

The Pentagon is preparing to send military lawyers to Minneapolis to assist.

CNN, citing an email circulating in the military, says Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is asking the branches to identify 40 lawyers known as judge advocate general officers or JAGs, and 25 of them will serve as special assistant US attorneys in Minneapolis.

Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson appeared to confirm the CNN report by posting it on X with a comment that the military "is proud to support" the Justice Department.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking more details.

It's the latest step by the Trump administration to dispatch military and civilian attorneys to areas where federal immigration operations are taking place.

The Pentagon last week sent 20 lawyers to Memphis, US Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said.

Mark Nevitt, an associate professor at Emory University School of Law and a former Navy JAG, said there's concern that the assignments are taking lawyers away from the military justice system.

"There are not many JAGs, but there are over one million members of the military, and they all need legal support," he said.

READ MORE: Police issue warning after pipe bombs found on Canberra streets

A woman confronts a federal immigration officer at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

An official says the agent who killed Good was injured

Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who killed Good, suffered internal bleeding to his torso during the encounter, a Homeland Security official told The Associated Press.

The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity in order to discuss Ross' medical condition.

The official did not provide details about the severity of the injuries, and the agency did not respond to questions about the extent of the bleeding, exactly how he suffered the injury, when it was diagnosed or his medical treatment.

There are many causes of internal bleeding, and they vary in severity from bruising to significant blood loss.

Video from the scene showed Ross and other officers walking without obvious difficulty after Good was shot and her Honda Pilot crashed into other vehicles.

She was killed after three ICE officers surrounded her SUV on a snowy street a few blocks from her home.

Bystander video shows one officer ordering Good to open the door and grab the handle.

As the vehicle begins to move forward, Ross, standing in front, raises his weapon and fires at least three shots at close range. He steps back as the SUV advances and turns.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said Ross was struck by the vehicle and that Good was using her SUV as a weapon — a self-defence claim that has been deeply criticised by Minnesota officials.

Chris Madel, an attorney for Ross, declined to comment on any injuries.

READ MORE: Dual Australian-British citizens caught out by new passport rule

People react after a firework was set off near the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

'An agent of peace'

Good's family, meanwhile, has hired a law firm, Romanucci & Blandin, that represented George Floyd's family in a $US27 million ($40.4 million) settlement with Minneapolis.

Floyd, who was Black, died after a white police officer pinned his neck to the ground in the street in May 2020.

The firm said Good was following orders to move her car when she was shot. It said it would conduct its own investigation and publicly share what it learns.

"They do not want her used as a political pawn," the firm said, referring to Good and her family, "but rather as an agent of peace for all."

Students march against ICE

Waving signs reading "Love Melts ICE" and "DE-ICE MN," hundreds of teenagers left school in St Paul and marched in freezing temperatures to the state Capitol for a protest and rally.

The University of Minnesota, meanwhile, informed its 50,000-plus students that there could be online options for some classes when the new term starts next week.

President Rebecca Cunningham noted that "violence and protests have come to our doorstep".

The campus sits next to the main Somali neighbourhood in Minneapolis.

– Reported with AP, CNN

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