Minnesota braces for a possible escalation as federal troops stand by amid protests against immigration enforcement and renewed threats to invoke the Insurrection Act.
Tensions rise with European allies as the White House pressures Denmark and other NATO countries over Greenland, prompting warnings of damage to transatlantic relations.
And world leaders are being asked to buy into a new U.S.-led “Board of Peace” for Gaza and other conflicts, with billion-dollar commitments and President Trump at the helm.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Padma Rama, Ben Swasey, Gerry Holmes, Mohamad ElBardicy, HJ Mai.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Simon-Laslo Janssen. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
(0:00) Introduction (01:57) Troops Stand By For Minnesota (05:47) Greenland NATO Tensions (09:34) Gaza Peace Board
The FBI searches the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of a leak investigation, raising concerns among press advocates about an escalation against press freedom. U.S. talks with Denmark and Greenland end without a deal on Greenland’s future, but a new working group forms as allies push back on President Trump’s security-driven claims. And after widespread confusion and backlash, the Trump administration reverses course and restores roughly $2 billion in funding for mental health and addiction programs nationwide.
Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Emily Kopp, Rebekah Metzler, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Kaity Kline, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
On Monday, the International Criminal Court received a declaration lodged by the Libyan government declaring the country’s acceptance of the ICC’s jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes in its territory from 2011 to the end of 2027.
ICC chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was expected to brief the United Nations Security Council Thursday to detail the office’s 29th report which details findings from its’ investigation into crimes in Libya.
However, Khan was unable to make his appearance after being slapped by sanctions from President Donald Trump in February.
Despite obstacles such as the sanctions, the ICC noted that it had seen ” an unprecedented six months of dynamism in our work in the situation in Libya”.
The ICC notably issued its first public arrest warrant for crimes committed in detention facilities in Libya earlier this year.
“There is what can be described as a black box of suffering on the coast of the Mediterranean that nobody has wanted to open. A black box that contains the cries, the ongoing pain, as we speak, of some of the most vulnerable people in both the West and the East of the country”, the statement by the ICC to the UN Security Council noted on the subject of Libyan detention facilities and potential crimes committed there.
Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen, the Permanent Representative of Denmark, commended the ICC prosecutor’s office for their work in Libya by highlighting the unsealed arrest warrants for alleged crimes and efforts to ensure that the voices of victims and survivors are heard.
Press freedom around the world is under greater threat than ever before, according to the latest report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF). For the first time in history, its World Press Freedom Index classifies the global state of press freedom as “difficult”.
Europe is home to the most press freedom in the world according to Reporters Without Borders’ annual press freedom ranking — though Southern and Eastern Europe represent some of the continent’s weak spots.
The top 15 countries were all in Europe, with Norway scoring the highest, followed by Estonia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.
In the Middle East, dozens of reporters have been killed during Israel’s military assault in Gaza, the organization said.
Palestine has become the world’s most dangerous state for journalists amid Israel’s war on Gaza, with dozens of reporters likely killed specifically due to their work, a media freedom watchdog has said.
The United States fell two places to 57. President Donald Trump’s administration is bringing about a “troubling deterioration” through funding cuts to public media and foreign aid, RSF added.
Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne, number 7, celebrates after scoring his side’s 2nd goal.(AP)
Belgium has officially cruised to round of 16 in European Championship after a 2-1 victory over Denmark on Thursday in a game marked by tributes to Christian Eriksen.
Denmark had the perfect start when midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg intercepted the ball to feed an unmarked Yussuf Poulsen, who arrowed a right-footed shot into the bottom corner with 99 seconds on the clock. However, Belgium leveled the score line in the second half through Thorgan Hazard.
Kevin De Bruyne came on after halftime for his first appearance since sustaining a facial fracture in the Champions League final and squared the ball for Thorgan Hazard to equalize in the 55th minute.
De Bruyne then broke Danish hearts when he gave Belgium the lead in the 70th minute, receiving the ball at the edge of the box from a slick passing move and firing a left-footed shot that beat goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Belgium have a maximum six points from two games, while Denmark are bottom of the group after two losses. Russia and Finland have three points each after two games.
Romelu Lukaku’s first thought after scoring at the European Championship wasn’t to celebrate with his Belgium teammates.
Instead, the striker wanted to send a heartfelt message to a close friend who was in the hospital.
“Chris. Strength, boy. Love you,” Lukaku said straight into a TV camera at Saint Petersburg Stadium in a mixture of English and Dutch, his touching words directed at Denmark player Christian Eriksen.
Lukaku had taken the field in Belgium’s 3-0 win over Russia on Saturday only a short time after seeing Eriksen, his teammate at Italian champion Inter Milan, fall to the ground and require urgent medical attention during Denmark’s game against Finland in Copenhagen.
Lukaku was watching the match with the rest of the Belgium squad. He said he cried.
“I was scared, obviously,” he said. “You live strong moments together. I spent more time with him than with my family.”
Lukaku said it had been “difficult to play because my mind was with” Eriksen.
“I hope he is healthy,” he added, “and I dedicate this performance to him.”
The former Manchester United striker didn’t just stop at one goal against Russia.
By slotting home a second in the 88th minute, Lukaku made it 62 goals in 93 international appearances and wrapped up a comfortable victory that validated top-ranked Belgium’s status as one of the favorites at Euro 2020.
It was all the more impressive given the Belgians were without playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who wasn’t deemed ready after a minor operation on a fractured nose and eye socket, and with captain Eden Hazard only playing the final 19 minutes as a substitute.
Belgium also had to deal with the withdrawal of right wing back Timothy Castagne in the 26th minute after he clashed heads with Russia midfielder Daler Kuzyaev. Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said Castagne had sustained a double fracture of his eye socket and has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament.
Castagne’s replacement, Thomas Meunier, scored Belgium’s second goal in the 34th minute.
“We looked like a team that was very concentrated for 90 minutes,” Martinez said.
“The win will allow us to grow into the tournament as a team.”
While the win was hardly unexpected — Russia lost to Belgium home and away in qualifying — the ease with which the Belgians swept aside the home team was surprising.
Up to Lukaku’s opening goal in the 10th minute, it had been a celebratory atmosphere among the heavily pro-Russian crowd of 26,264 spectators.
Aside, that is, from just before kickoff when there were loud jeers around the stadium as Belgium’s players took a knee.
Music was played while the gesture against racism was taking place, but the boos were still audible.
Lacking his ideal supporting cast, Lukaku still managed to score in each half, though he was given a helping hand by Russia’s defense.
Andrei Semenov was at fault for the first goal, miskicking while attempting to clear a cross from the right. The ball fell loose in the area and Lukaku pounced, finding the corner with a low finish.
Another mistake, this time by goalkeeper Anton Shunin, allowed Meunier to double the lead.
Thorgan Hazard’s in-swinging cross was parried weakly by Shunin and Meunier slid his shot from the rebound into an unguarded net.
Kuzyaev initially played on after his clash with Castagne but went off himself a few minutes later, the first of five substitutions — the maximum allotted — made by Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov by the 63rd minute.
Belgium center back Jan Vertonghen also went off with an apparent leg injury in the second half but Martinez said it wasn’t serious.
Finland’s Joel Pohjanpalo heads home the opening goal
Denmark, the favourites of the yesterday’s game, suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of debutants Finland in an entertaining game which was not short of depressions as Danish Christian Eriksen collapsed, requiring emergency medical treatment on the pitch.
The match was suspended after Eriksen collapsed towards the end of the first half and was given CPR by medics as his team-mates formed a ring around him, before he was carried off on a stretcher and both teams left the pitch.
Many were in tears, with English referee Anthony Taylor halting the game as cameras cut away
The game was stopped for one hour and 45 minutes but resumed after the Danish Football Association announced that Eriksen was awake and stable in hospital and both sets of players told soccer’s European governing body Uefa they wanted to continue.
Denmark dominated the match before and after the traumatic incident, but Finland striker Joel Pohjanpalo headed home the winner past Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on the hour with his side’s only attempt of the game.
The hosts had 22 efforts but could not make them count, including a tame penalty from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg that was saved by Lukas Hradecky with 16 minutes remaining.
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