Latest News
-
US Justice Department removes attorney who told immigration judge, "This job stinks"
According to a source with knowledge of the matter, the U.S. Justice Department removed a government attorney from an assignment in Minnesota, after she told a federal court, "This job stinks," and claimed that immigration authorities failed to follow a court order. Julie Le, an immigration attorney at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was assigned to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota. Hundreds of lawsuits were filed in the district court by people who challenged their detention as a result of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement blitz. U.S. district judge Jerry Blackwell ordered her to appear in front of him and another government attorney in a courtroom in St. Paul on Tuesday, to explain why the Administration had not consistently complied with the court's orders in several instances including those directing the release detainees. Le, according to a transcript of a court hearing, told the judge that she "stupidly", volunteered to start working at the U.S. Attorney's Office on January 5, to assist it in addressing?hundreds? of lawsuits filed by people who were swept up in the "Operation Metro Surge", a Minnesota-based operation. What do you want me do? The transcript revealed that she had said. "The ?system sucks. "This job is a sucker." A Justice Department spokesperson stated that the Trump administration is complying with court order "and fully enforcing Federal Immigration?Law", and blamed high caseloads to "rogue judges." According to the source, Le's job was terminated by the Justice Department. Le's remarks were deemed "unprofessional" and "unbecoming" by a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. However, she did not confirm whether Le had returned to her former job. Le has not responded to any requests for comment. Le told the court on Tuesday that she worked day and night to make sure that all court orders were followed. She said that she did not receive proper training from the Justice Department and struggled to make sure U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (which they had not done previously or currently) complied with court orders. According to the transcript, Le said: "Sometimes I wish that you would hold me in contempt so that I could have a full 24 hours of sleep." The U.S. Attorney's Office of Minnesota is under pressure due to a?flood of immigration petitions, and cases that accuse demonstrators of attacking federal agents. Six prosecutors resigned this month, including senior officials, in protest at the way President Donald Trump's government handled the investigation into Renee Good's fatal shooting by an immigration officer. Blackwell was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden. He said that he "understood the concerns regarding the amount of energy the DOJ is spending, but with respect, you are responsible for some of this because you have not complied with orders." Le shared her concerns with him about the way immigration cases are handled. She said, "I'm not white as you can tell." "My family is at the same risk as anyone else that could be picked up, so I shared that concern and took it to heart." Reporting by Nate Raymond, Washington and Andrew Goudsward; editing by Peter Graff and Cynthia Osterman
-
US Judge to hold Friday hearing in suit for restoration of New York Tunnel funding
A?U.S. A judge will hear the emergency request of?New York?and?New Jersey?to force the restoration funding for the $16 Billion Hudson River Tunnel before the construction stops on Friday. The states filed a lawsuit late Tuesday and asked for a temporary injunction that would prevent the U.S. Transportation Department (USTD) from withholding funds for the rail project between New York City and New Jersey, approved under the presidency of Joe Biden. The lawsuit was filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Acting New Jersey attorney general Jennifer Davenport. They claim that there is overwhelming proof that USDOT suspended funding to punish New York Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries for refusing to accept President Donald Trump’s budget. U.S. district judge Jeanette Vargas scheduled a hearing on Friday at 1 pm. ET and stated that the Justice Department had to file any opposition to the states' requests by 11 am on Friday. The Gateway Development Commission (which is managing the project) filed a lawsuit on Monday after stating that it would be forced to stop construction by Friday if funding was not restored. This will result in the loss of employment for about 1,000 workers and $2 billion spent. White House and USDOT didn't comment. However, the White House said last week that Democrats were "standing in the way of an agreement for the Gateway Tunnel Project" by refusing negotiations with the Trump Administration on immigration issues. Trump's Republican Administration has repeatedly targeted major transit and infrastructure in Democratic-led States. The Hudson Tunnel, built in 1910 and heavily damaged by hurricane Sandy in 2012, is used daily by more than 200,000 commuters and 425 trains. It produces 10% of America's economy. The project, which has received federal funding of about $15 billion, will involve the repair and construction of an existing tunnel for Amtrak passenger trains and state commuter lines between New Jersey, and Manhattan. Trump, an ex-New York City developer, refused in his first term to approve funding for tunnel project. The Trump administration also tries to kill Manhattan’s congestion pricing program, which aims to reduce traffic and raise billions for mass transportation. (Reporting and editing by Chris Reese, Bill Berkrot, and David Shepardson from Washington)
-
US Justice Department removes attorney who told immigration judge 'this job stinks'
According to a source familiar with the matter, the U.S. Justice Department has removed a government attorney from a Minnesota assignment after she complained to a federal court that her "job stinks" and that immigration authorities failed to follow court orders. Julie Le, an immigration attorney at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was assigned to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota when hundreds of lawsuits were filed in the district court by people who had been detained during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement blitz. U.S. district judge Jerry Blackwell ordered her to appear in front of him on Tuesday in a St. Paul Courtroom to explain why administration officials had failed to comply with court orders repeatedly in several cases, including those directing the release detainees. Le informed the judge that she "stupidly volunteered" to begin working at the U.S. Attorney's Office on January 5, to assist it in addressing hundreds of lawsuits which had been received?challenging detention of those people caught up in Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. What do you want me do? She said. She said. "This job is a sucker." A Justice Department spokesperson said that the Trump administration is complying with court order "and fully enforcing Federal Immigration Law", and blamed high caseloads to "rogue judges." The source said that the Justice Department cut short Le's job, but didn't say if she returned to her former position at the Department of Homeland Security. DHS and Le didn't respond to comments. Le told the court on Tuesday that she has worked day and night to make sure that all court orders are followed. She said that she did not receive proper training from the Justice Department and struggled to ensure U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) complied with all court orders "which they had not done previously or currently". According to a transcript, Le said: "Sometimes I wish that you would hold me in contempt so that I could have 24 hours of sleep." The U.S. Attorney's Office of Minnesota is under pressure as it deals with a flood of immigration petitions and cases accusing protesters of assaulting federal agents. Six prosecutors resigned this month, including senior officials, in protest at the way President Donald Trump's government handled the investigation into the fatal shooting by an immigration officer of Renee Good. Blackwell was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden. He said that he "understood the concerns regarding the amount of energy the DOJ is spending, but with respect, you are responsible for some of this by not following orders." Le shared her concerns with him about the way immigration cases are handled. She said, "You can see that I am not white." "My family is at the same risk as anyone else who might be picked up, so I shared that concern and took it to heart."
-
INTERVIEW - President Vucic says Serbia is seeking EU gas deals to reduce Russian supplies.
In a Wednesday interview, Aleksandar Vucic stated that Serbia was diversifying its energy sources away from Russia. The country is already in discussions to purchase natural gas through a European Union buying mechanism. Over 80% of the country's natural gas comes from Russia. The EU is trying to cut down on cash flowing to the Ukraine war chest of President Vladimir Putin. Last year, Serbia was unable to sign a long-term agreement with Russia's Gazprom. A short-term agreement reached in December will expire on March 31. Vucic stated that he understood EU policies towards Russian energy. He said, "We have to adapt our energy policy to certain requests and demands." Vucic, flanked with an EU flag, said in an interview given at the Belgrade presidency that "we will still have large?quantities" of Russian gas. He said Serbia aimed to secure 500 millions cubic metres of natural gas per year, or about a fifth, through the EU's collective gas-buying program, which Serbia joined last year. He said that Serbia already purchases gas from Azerbaijan via Bulgaria. Construction of a pipeline from North Macedonia to Serbia, which would allow Serbia to access liquefied gas from Greece, should begin this year. A pipeline connecting Serbia with neighboring Romania should be completed by 2027. Vucic stated, "This is an important diversification." BALANCE RUSSIA AND THE EU Serbia has a long history of cultural and religious ties with Russia. Moscow is behind Belgrade's opposition to Kosovo's independence, an ex-province in the south of Serbia that was populated primarily by Albanians. Vucic has tried to strike a balance between his relations with the Kremlin, and Serbia's EU bid. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 of Ukraine, it has become more difficult to maintain this line. Sanctions imposed by the United States on Serbia's NIS oil company, owned by Russians, forced its sale to Hungary's MOL. Vucic has also stated that he is committed towards joining the EU. He claimed that the economy, living standards, and debt levels had all improved. He said: "No doubt that since I'm president, Serbia will be on its EU road." If Serbia wants to become a member of the EU, it has demanded for years that Serbia improve its rule of law and media freedoms as well as root out organized crime and corruption. Critics claim recent reforms in the judicial system would reduce its independence and complicate Serbia's path to EU. Vucic stated that the authorities were ready to "scrutinise", with European institutions, the set of judicial law disputed. Looking for a Legacy Vucic suffered a major political blow in 2024 when the roof of a Novi Sad railway station collapsed, killing 16 people. The tragedy sparked nationwide protests calling for the end of corruption and early elections. Vucic acknowledged that corruption is a serious problem in Serbia, and he is "dissatisfied with" efforts to eradicate the problem. "It's about corruption within?our state-run institutions... including politicians." He dismissed the protests, saying they were a plot of international security agencies, including those in neighbouring Croatia and Albania, to topple the government. But he did not provide any proof. These accusations have been denied by officials from these countries. Vucic’s final and second term ends in 2027. He has announced that he will hold snap elections in this year amid street protests. He did not know what he'd do next but he didn't rule out going back to politics, or running for prime minister. We'll see. "I wish I was less involved in politics, or even not engaged at all. But taking care of my family legacy may require that I be more involved. (Reporting and editing by Alexandra Hudson, Edward McAllister)
-
Merz, a German company, heads to the Gulf region in search of new partners
On Wednesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz started a tour to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to form energy and arms partnerships as Europe's largest and richest economy tries to reduce its dependence on the U.S. Merz, at the beginning of his three-day visit, said that such alliances are needed more than ever in a world where politics is increasingly determined by the major powers. He added that the goal of these alliances is to preserve freedom, safety, and prosperity. He added, "Our partners might not share the same interests and values but they all agree that we need a global order where we can trust agreements and respect each other." The tour is part of an broader German initiative aimed at diversifying global alliances. Merz said, "In a network like this, we can reduce our dependence on one another, minimize risks, and find new opportunities together to benefit us all." Merz stated that he wished to see a deeper level of cooperation between the energy and arms sectors in the Gulf. He also said Berlin would be adopting a more relaxed approach towards exports. Last week, Germany's Economy Minister prepared the ground. QATAR IS ALREADY ONE GERMANY’S LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTORS After the murder of Saudi Arabian Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in 2018, relations with Saudi Arabia began to deteriorate. Merz stated that while there had been some improvements in the human rights, more could be done. He would discuss this. Gulf States, which have large sovereign wealth funds?, already play a significant role in Germany's economic development. Qatar is one the biggest foreign investors in Germany. It holds stakes in Volkswagen, RWE, and Hapag-Lloyd, among others. Merz said that he would be addressing broader regional issues and calling for peace, stability, and cooperation including normalization with Israel. Merz said that Israel would one day be included in the order and not rejected as a foreign entity. Merz stated that he has three demands for?Iran: Tehran must stop violence against its people, end its nuclear military programme, and cease destabilizing activities throughout the region. Germany is Israel's strongest European ally, but Gulf states have taken different approaches to Iran since the Gaza War. (Written by Madeline Chambers, edited by Bernadette B. Baum)
-
Spirit Airlines wants to transfer two Chicago airport gate to United Airlines for $30 Million
Spirit 'Aviation has filed a court document asking the 'U.S. Bankruptcy Court' for the Southern District of New York for approval to transfer two O'Hare Airport gates to United Airlines at a cost of $30.2 million. Spirit filed for bankruptcy in August 2025 - a second attempt - as it struggled to deal with mounting losses and dwindling reserves. In an effort to shed its non-core assets, the company has already left 14 airports. It also'rejected leases on over 80 aircraft. Spirit Airlines, as part of its network optimization program,?determined that it did not need all four preferential airport gates at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. In December, the airline reassigned these gates to American Airlines. According to the filing two major airlines made bids on gates G12 and G14. Spirit claimed that United had the best price-performance combination. According to a court filing in November, Spirit had approximately 32 departures on peak days from O'Hare, which have since been halved. If approved by the court ?in late February, Spirit said it ?will use the $30.2 million assignment fee to prepay term loans as defined in its ?debtor-in-possession credit agreement. Spirit obtained an additional $100m in emergency funding to support its operations. (Reporting and editing by Aurora Ellis, Emelia Sithole Matarise, and Doyinsola Oladipo in New York)
-
Spirit Airlines wants to transfer two Chicago airport gate to United Airlines for $30 Million
Spirit Aviation has filed a court document requesting court approval to transfer two airport gate?to United Airlines. The cost is $30.2 million. Spirit Aviation determined that it did not need all four of the preferential gates at Chicago O'Hare International Airport as part of its network optimization. In December, the airline had reassigned 2 of these gates to American Airlines. Spirit filed for bankruptcy a second-time in August 2025 as it struggled with dwindling reserves and mounting losses. In an effort to reduce non-core assets, the company has already left 14 airports. It also rejected leases on over 80 aircraft. According to the filing, two major carriers submitted bids. Spirit claimed that United had the best and highest?combination? of price and operational fit. Spirit has said that if the court approves the assignment, it will use the $30.2 Million fee to pay off debt. Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo, New York; editing by Aurora Ellis
-
IndiGo is under investigation by India's Competition regulator after a mass cancellation of flights
IndiGo's flight cancellations that occurred in December rattled India's air travel industry, and the competition regulator ordered an investigation. IndiGo, India’s largest airline based on market share, cancelled 4,500 flights during the first two weeks of December. This left tens and thousands of passengers stranded across the country, raising concerns about the lack of competition in one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. The?Competition Commission of India published an order on its website on Wednesday stating that IndiGo has a "dominant" position in the domestic aviation market due to its extensive network, large fleet and financial strength. CCI: "By cancelling thousands of flights, IndiGo effectively withheld their service from the market. This created an artificial scarcity and limited consumer access to travel at times of 'peak demand. The regulator issued an order after allegations of antitrust violation against the airline. A lawyer filed the complaint, alleging that IndiGo's cancellations of hundreds of flights led to a huge increase in prices and inconvenience for passengers. The regulator stated that due to the airline’s strong dominance on the market, consumers were locked into using their services and had no viable alternatives. IndiGo's behavior 'appeared adversely to affect competition in India. The CCI?said. This prompted a formal investigation. The airline didn't immediately respond to our request for comment. In January, India's aviation regulator fined IndiGo $2.45m for the first time. It also issued warnings to senior managers and ordered the airline to remove its head of?operations? control from his position. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation conducted an investigation into the airline following the implementation of stricter rules on pilot rest and duty last year. (Reporting and editing by Nishit Navin, Anil D'Silva, Shilpa Majumdar).
Mali's Barrick hardball talks are being driven by two former Barrick employees
According to sources familiar with the discussions, two former Barrick Gold executives who have inside information about the Canadian miner's operations in West Africa help drive Mali's demand for a payment from the Canadian company of approximately $200 million.
Mamou and Samba Toure were both employed by Randgold in Mali, now part of Barrick, which is a mining firm.
Mali's military government, which seized in December three metric tonnes of gold worth approximately $245 million from Barrick, has given miners until Saturday midnight to respond to their demands.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, it wants Barrick pay back taxes totaling 125 billion CFA Francs ($199m) according to a source.
Source: If the deal is finalised Mali will return the gold seized and release the four Barrick executives who have been detained since November.
Barrick has publicly announced that he is a member of the Barrick
rejected
The charges brought against its employees are not specified. According to the court documents reviewed by, these include money laundering and funding of terrorism.
Barrick declined to answer any questions regarding the current status of the negotiations, and the Mali mines ministry also did not respond.
The dispute will have ramifications on global miners, foreign investors and others who have invested billions of dollars in West Africa. They are now being forced to follow a different set of rules because the military governments of Mali Niger and Burkina Faso want a larger share of mining revenue.
Beverly Ochieng is senior analyst at Control Risks for Francophone Africa. She said that the standoff with Barrick shows just how far governments led by military forces in the Sahel region are willing to go in order to force foreign operators to adhere to new regulations aligned with their pursuit of resource nationalism.
We spoke with more than 20 people, including mining executives and consultants, diplomats, and people who had direct knowledge of the discussions, to get a better picture of the negotiation. Sources requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation.
Nine people with knowledge of the situation say that the two Toures form part of a small group on the Malian front, including junta chief Assimi Goita and the Minister of Finance and Economy Alousseini Sanou.
They are not related, despite sharing a common surname. Samba Toure was older than the other two men by several decades and was West Africa Operations Director at Randgold. Mamou worked as underground manager at the Loulo Mine.
Sources said that Mamou is the most influential negotiator in Mali due to his close relationship with the powerful Finance Minister Sanou.
Mamou’s Iventus consultancy won the contract for auditing foreign mining companies in Mali. This led to the new mining code of 2023 and the renegotiation of the miner's contracts. Samba works now for him in the consultancy.
Mamou is the current boss, said a former co-worker. Samba's technical and managerial expertise was still crucial to decision making. "The decisions are made more by Samba than Mamou."
Mamou responded to detailed questions by saying that gold production has not benefited the Mali people as it should for many decades. Mali is Africa’s second largest gold producer.
He said, "It's only natural for the state to ask for a correction." "The state made great efforts to reach an accord, which is the reason all other companies reached an agreement with state."
Samba Toure has not responded to a comment request.
ACRIMONIOUS TALKS
Barrick's talks have been acrimonious, while other Western miners, including Canada's B2Gold, Allied Gold, and Australia's Resolute, have reached deals with Mali over the past few months.
Legal disputes, arrests, nationalisations, and threats are being used by the military governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to strengthen their ties with Russia and gain greater control over gold and uranium.
Ochieng of Control Risks, however, said that this did not mean Western operators would be unwelcome. She said that several western mining companies were allowed to expand their operations and acquire new assets, provided they met the latest taxation and regulatory demands.
The Mali junta, which will take power in 2020 has pledged to examine its mining industry so that the state can benefit from gold prices at record highs.
Some companies, such as B2Gold, were able to reach an agreement quickly. Some companies, such as Australia's Resolute whose CEO was arrested while in Mali to hold talks, took a little longer.
B2Gold said it would proceed with its planned investments at its Fekola complex this year after achieving the deal. Resolute said on Thursday that its deal with the Mali government would allow for better collaboration as the mine is developed.
The relationship with Barrick deteriorated in the last year. Barrick paid 80 million dollars to release four Malians who were arrested by the authorities in September. Mali demanded more payments, as it is owed a total amount of $350 million.
Barrick generated $949m in revenue in the first nine-month period of last year from its operations in Mali.
Bristow announced in early November that it had agreed to offer Mali 55% economic benefits from the Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex, similar to the agreement struck by the miner with Tanzania five years earlier.
Mali demanded that the remaining amount be paid in one go, rather than in installments. Mali began to block Barrick's imports in early November.
Mali claims that Barrick still has 125 billion CFA Francs to pay after discounting VAT credits.
Mali issued a warrant of arrest for Barrick CEO Mark Bristow in December 5 after four Barrick employees were again detained when no payment was received.
Contacts continued in the background. On Dec. 6, a source who spoke with Barrick senior management said that Barrick was on the verge of paying a second 50 billion CFA tranche. The payment never materialized and the conversation ceased. On Tuesday, formal talks resumed.
Freddie Brooks is a metals & Mining analyst at BMI. A FitchSolutions Company. He said that Barrick, under Bristow, had the highest level of tolerance for operational risks among major miners.
He said that if they failed to negotiate a deal with Mali's junta military, it wasn't for lack of effort.
CLASHES WITH BRISTOW
Samba Toure left Randgold nine years ago, after an argument with Bristow who was the CEO at that time.
Samba's rift grew after he resigned and was denied the right to sell his Randgold shares, based in London.
Mamou Toure left Randgold after a dispute in 2015 with Bristow regarding the use of foreign contractors.
Barrick declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding the Toures departure.
Mamou's company Iventus Mining won the consulting contract when the government announced that it would audit the mines. Two sources claim that Samba Toure was the one who led the audits.
Samba became chairman of the board in 2022 after Mali established a state-owned mine, SOREM. Mamou was appointed as a member.
However, the influence of Toures cannot be denied. Last summer, junta leader Goita grew frustrated with the negotiations and brought in the director of state security, Modibo Kone, one of the five colonels-turned-generals who lead the junta, one source said. Kone's participation in the talks was confirmed by a second source.
According to a source familiar with these talks, at least once, the Finance Minister has taken over the negotiations and told Mamou to step down when he had gone too far in his requests.
Five sources claimed that the Mines Minister, a technocrat without any military ties, had been marginalized. Mamou, however, denied this, pointing out that the ministry has two members on the commission. He said that the commission receives its orders both from the Finance Ministry and the Mines Ministry.
The Mali finance ministry and the presidency have not responded to any requests for comment. The state security service could not be reached.
Special Forces Raid
Stockpiles of gold were increasing in the "gold room" located at Loulo-Gounkoto's complex, despite exports being banned.
According to a court order dated Jan. 2, Barrick had just over 3 tons of gold in its vaults as of Dec. 27.
Unannounced, a helicopter arrived at the landing strip of the mine complex in mid-morning Jan. 11. One source said that four special forces soldiers and a customs officer, along with two officers from the state mining department and other plainclothes personnel, disembarked the helicopter and handed paperwork to Barrick employees authorizing them to seize gold.
The source added that the second shipment was made in the evening.
The gold that Barrick's mines seized is currently in the vaults at the Banque Malienne de Solidarite, a state-owned bank in Bamako. The bank declined comment.
Barrick, the company that confirmed the seizure, has announced it will suspend operations at Loulo-Gounkoto.
According to the Jan. 2, order, the seizure of Bristow's and other Barrick employee's property was taken as a precautionary measure in connection with the money laundering charges and other unspecified crimes against Bristow.
Two sources claim that Barrick has resisted the government's request to migrate to the 2023 mining code due to increased taxes.
Barrick's mining license will be renewed next year. The government has indicated that it may refuse the permit.
A source who had previously consulted with the Malian government said that the government wanted leverage in the negotiation while the company was looking to secure a long-term contract renewal at favorable terms.
The person stated, "I don't think they trust each other but no one is interested in a split-up."
Some investors are predicting a difficult road for Barrick Mali. They even think the company may lose its assets.
Martin Pradier is a materials analyst with Veritas, a Toronto-based investment research firm that covers Barrick. The exchange rate is $1 = 626.7500 CFA francs. (Additional reporting from Tiemoko and Fadimata in Bamako. Writing by David Lewis, Portia Crowe and Daniel Flynn. Editing by Silvia Aloisi, Veronica Brown, and Daniel Flynn.
(source: Reuters)