A former French senator is on trial in Paris, accused of drugging a lawmaker to sexually assault her. Joel Guerriau is accused of putting ecstasy in a glass of champagne served to parliament member Sandrine Josso. She felt unwell and left his apartment. Guerriau denies intending to drug her. Blood tests revealed Josso ingested a significant amount of MDMA, known as ecstasy. Guerriau faces charges of drug use, possession, and administering a substance to commit assault. This case follows the landmark Pelicot trial, which highlighted drug-facilitated sexual abuse in France.

A Michigan Republican businessman has joined a crowded field of candidates vying for to be the state's next governor. In a video released Monday announcing his campaign, Johnson describes Michigan’s government as inefficient. Johnson, a management consultant, ran for governor of the battleground state in 2022 and ran a long shot bid for president ahead of 2024. Johnson's 2022 bid ended after failing to collect enough valid signatures, but not before he spent nearly $8 million. In an interview with the Detroit News, he has pledged to spend big ahead of the Aug. 4 primary.

A federal judge will hear arguments on whether she should at least temporarily halt the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that has led to the fatal shootings of two people by government officers. The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs officer. The shooting of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol officer on Saturday has only added urgency to the case.

Negotiations to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine are showing signs of progress, but major challenges remain, according to a senior Kremlin official. Talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi were described as constructive, with another round planned for next week. However, no major breakthroughs have been reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also called the talks constructive and mentioned that a document for U.S. security guarantees is ready but needs formal signing. Meanwhile, the war continues, with both sides engaging in drone attacks over the weekend. Negotiators will meet again in early February.

European Union regulators have opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X after its AI chatbot Grok started producing nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images. The scrutiny from Brussels comes after Grok sparked backlash by using AI to undress people, including children, in images. Sme governments have banned the service or issued warnings. The EU's executive is examining whether X has met its obligations under the Digital Services Act to contain illegal content. An X spokeswoman said the platform remains committed to safety and has zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation and non-consensual nudity.

Two Minnesota special elections in heavily Democratic Twin Cities-area state legislative districts will decide control of the state's House of Representatives for the third time in less than a year. Republicans hold a 67-65 advantage in the chamber after two Democratic representatives were elected to other offices in November. The chamber has operated under a power-sharing agreement between the two parties for much of the last year. Tuesday's contests take place just days after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis, sparking protests and renewed calls for federal immigration officers to leave the state.

Three brothers, including two once dubbed “The A Team” for their skill at selling high-end real estate, face opening statements at a New York trial where they are charged with drugging and raping numerous women. The Alexander brothers — Tal and twins Alon and Oren — have pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges. Their lawyers insist that prosecutors are criminalizing sexual activity between consenting adults. Opening statements are scheduled for Tuesday. The men have been held without bail since their 2024 arrest in Miami, where they lived. Oren and Tal sold real estate in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. Their brother ran the family's private security firm.

Michelle Francine Ngonmo, a Cameroonian-Italian, has dedicated her career to promoting Africans and people of color in Italian fashion. She founded the Afrofashion Association a decade ago to address the lack of representation. Ngonmo produces runway shows, mentors talent, and launched the Black Carpet Awards. The association has worked with 3,000 people of color, with 92 in creative jobs. Despite initial momentum from the Black Lives Matter movement, attention has waned. Ngonmo now focuses on supportive institutions like the Italian National Fashion Chamber, which backs emerging Black talents like Victor-Hart.

Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have threatened new attacks on ships in the Red Sea corridor. This move seems to support Iran, which is concerned about a U.S. aircraft carrier approaching the region. The Houthis released a video showing a ship on fire with the caption “Soon.” They attacked over 100 ships during Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip but halted after a ceasefire. The threat comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln moves toward the area. Meanwhile, Iran has renewed warnings to Israel and the U.S., saying any attack would be met with a strong response.

The Federal Aviation Administration says a private aircraft with eight people on board has crashed on takeoff from Bangor International Airport in Maine. The Bombardier Challenger 600 crashed around 7:45 p.m. Sunday. There was no immediate word on the conditions of those aboard and an airport statement said the airport was closed and emergency crews were at the site. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The crash occurred as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm. Bangor had steady snowfall Sunday like much of the northeastern United States.

An inter-island ferry with more than 350 on board has sunk in the southern Philippines after midnight and rescuers have saved at least 316 passengers and retrieved 15 bodies. Officials say the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, a cargo and passenger ferry, was sailing from the port city of Zamboanga to southern Jolo island in Sulu province with 332 passengers and 27 crew members early Monday when it apparently encountered technical problems and sank. Coast guard officials said the cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but noted that the boat was cleared by the coast guard before departing and did not appear to be overcrowded.

So many things went wrong last Jan. 29 to contribute to the collision between an airliner and a U.S. Army helicopter that killed 67 people that the National Transportation Safety Board isn’t likely to identify a single cause at its hearing Tuesday. Instead, the investigators will detail all the things they found that played a role in the crash near Washington, and the board will recommend changes that should be made to help prevent a similar event from happening again. Family members of the victims hope those suggestions won’t be ignored the same way many past NTSB recommendations have been after other crashes.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors have returned to the court after their game was postponed following the fatal shooting of a man in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was clearly and deeply moved by the situation as he expressed on behalf of the organization his heartbreak for the community’s collective fear and pain from the ongoing crackdown. The Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Alex Pretti prior to the national anthem. Warriors coach Steve Kerr also shared his sadness and said he felt a “pall that's been cast over the city.”

A federal judge is set to hear arguments Monday on whether to pause an immigration crackdown in Minnesota. This follows the fatal shootings of two people by government officers. The state and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Department of Homeland Security two weeks ago. They want to restore conditions before the Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge began in December. Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison plans to attend the hearing. Justice Department attorneys have called the lawsuit legally frivolous. The case could have implications for other states facing similar immigration enforcement operations like that underway in Minnesota.

The fatal shooting of a Minneapolis protester by a federal immigration officer touched off a firestorm and prompted some fellow Republicans to question President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration crackdown, but the president on Sunday night doubled down and blamed Democratic officials. After remaining relatively quiet on Sunday, the Republican president in two lengthy social media posts said that Democrats had encouraged people to obstruct law enforcement operations. He also called on officials in Minnesota to work with immigration officers and “turn over” people who were in the U.S. illegally.