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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth censured Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona after the retired Navy pilot recorded a video with other lawmakers telling U.S. troops they could resist unlawful orders. The letter of censure 鈥� which could lead to a demotion 鈥� accuses him of engaging in a 鈥渟ustained pattern鈥� of statements calling the Trump administration鈥檚 military operations 鈥渋llegal.鈥� On The Daily Show last night, Sen. Kelly vowed not to back down, saying, 鈥渨e have a right in our country to speak out.鈥�

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dropped his bid for reelection amid a growing scandal over welfare fraud in the state. A recent viral video by a conservative influencer alleging fraud at day care centers receiving government funding fanned the flames. The Justice Department says it has charged 98 people as part of its investigation into fraud claims. The White House is reportedly freezing $10 billion for child care and low-income families in five Democratic states, including Minnesota.

A Paris court found ten people guilty of cyberbullying over social media posts about the gender and sexuality of French first lady, Brigitte Macron. The verdict comes ahead of a defamation lawsuit the Macrons have filed in the United States against conservative commentator Candace Owens, who has also spread conspiracy theories about Ms. Macron鈥檚 gender. The first lady said she hopes to 鈥渟et an example鈥� for young people to fight harassment.

An extremist group in Germany claimed responsibility for an arson attack Saturday that left a large swath of Berlin without power. The left-wing Volcano Group has carried out multiple attacks on the city鈥檚 power infrastructure in recent years. The goal was to cut off the 鈥減ower of the rulers鈥� because of their 鈥済reed for energy,鈥� a letter from the group said. Some 45,000 households lost power amid freezing temperatures, with repairs expected to continue until Thursday.

The United States pledged $2 billion for United Nations humanitarian aid, following a year of cuts to the sector. It鈥檚 a slice of what Washington has provided in recent years, pushing agencies to cut costs and 鈥渁dapt, shrink, or die.鈥� The head of the U.N. office coordinating the funds hailed last week鈥檚 agreement, saying he had expected no new contributions from Washington as recently as a month ago. The money will support 17 countries including Haiti, Sudan, and Syria.

Somalia assumed the rotating U.N. Security Council presidency for the month of January, a milestone in its return to diplomatic relations after decades of instability and political isolation. Somali envoy Abukar Dahir Osman said the eastern African nation, which last served on the council in the early 1970s, is working to be a 鈥渧oice of reason鈥� and a 鈥渂ridge builder.鈥�

鈥� From Monitor writers around the globe

The U.S. military鈥檚 removal of Nicol谩s Maduro from Venezuela to face trial in a U.S. courtroom raises a host of questions about the legality of the Trump administration鈥檚 actions. We look at what international law, domestic law, and historical precedent say about the legal rationale.

Donald Trump campaigned on 鈥淣o forever wars鈥� and 鈥淎merica First,鈥� and these remain core tenets for many in his MAGA base. His administration鈥檚 intervention in Venezuela could test those promises.

With ice melting in the Arctic, Russia is ramping up efforts to take advantage of the newly opening territory. That means greater military and economic assertiveness, as well as attempts to build international cooperation.

Across the United States, jurisdictions are seeking to enact rent regulations as housing costs have continued to rise. But finding long-term solutions 鈥� including building millions more homes 鈥� won鈥檛 be easy.

In Senegal, our reporter finds a nation powered by millions of tiny daily acts of entrepreneurship and creativity.

Relations between China and India 鈥� the world鈥檚 two most populous nations, which also rank among its top five economies 鈥� have been fraught and frosty for decades, starting with armed conflict in 1962 along their shared Himalayan border and, more recently, a serious clash in 2020. But going into this new year, there are encouraging signs of a gradual thaw between the two nuclear-armed Asian powers.

Even this slight warming 鈥� which one Indian diplomat described to a news magazine as a 鈥渟tate of armed coexistence鈥� along disputed border areas 鈥� helps temper potential military flash points. On the political and economic fronts, the prospects are somewhat brighter. The leaders of both countries have met in recent months; flights and tourist travel are slowly resuming. And officials are exploring avenues for economic diversification and integration 鈥� moves that could boost regional growth as well as strengthen Global South economies jolted by the unexpectedly steep U.S. trade tariffs of 2025.

This year, India has taken over the rotating chairmanship of the BRICS group, named for its first five members 鈥� Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Established in the wake of the global economic crisis of 2008, the alliance sought to better navigate and counter Western-dominated economic institutions and alliances. Today, it represents nearly 49% of the world鈥檚 population, 29% of global production, and 23% of international trade, according to the World Bank.

Economic pressures and unpredictability, Foreign Affairs magazine observed in November, have pushed BRICS nations closer: 鈥淎ll now have a clearer understanding that they are stronger together than apart.鈥� However, achieving cohesion among countries from multiple continents and with differing domestic priorities takes time and negotiation. Some are concerned about becoming too beholden to China or alienating the United States further. Others cling to policies of protectionism or subsidized production. And China is expanding its geopolitical reach.

Nevertheless, the tentative overtures between BRICS鈥� two largest member nations hint at the benefits and lessons of even small steps in pursuit of diplomacy and civil dialogue. Given the widening rifts between the U.S. with both India and China, some 鈥淎merica First鈥� proponents might view these closer ties as inimical to U.S. interests. But taking such a zero-sum view misses the larger picture.

鈥淎merican national interests will be well served if the two Asian giants can 鈥榖ury the hatchet,鈥欌�� according to Lyle Goldstein, an analyst with the think tank Defense Priorities. Trade linkages between the two would boost prosperity 鈥� and thus, stability. And, more importantly, he wrote in The Hill, 鈥淭he world will not have to watch nervously as two nuclear-armed powers engage in regular, violent skirmishing.鈥�

Those would be big wins from a small thaw.