Ethiopia's prime minister accuses Eritrea of mass killings during Tigray war

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) —Ethiopia'sgovernment Tuesday for the first time acknowledged the involvement of troops from neighboring Eritrea in the war in the Tigray region that ended in 2022, accusing them of mass killings, amid reports ofrenewed fightingin the region.

Ethiopian Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmed, while addressing parliament Tuesday, accused Eritrean troops fighting alongside Ethiopian forces of mass killings in the war, during which more than 400,000 people are estimated to have died.

Eritrean and Ethiopian troops fought against regional forces in the northern Tigray region in a war that ended in 2022 with the signing of a peace agreement.

Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel told The Associated Press that Ahmed's comments were "cheap and despicable lies" and did not merit a response.

Both nations have been accusing each other of provoking a potential civil war, with landlocked Ethiopia saying thatEritreais arming and funding rebel groups, while Eritrea says Ethiopia's aspiration is to gain access to a seaport.

"The rift did not begin with the Red Sea issue, as many people think," Ahmed told parliamentarians. "It started in the first round of the war in Tigray, when the Eritrean army followed us into Shire and began demolishing houses, massacred our youth in Axum, looted factories in Adwa, and uprooted our factories."

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"The Red Sea and Ethiopia cannot remain separated forever," he added.

Ethiopia lost sovereign access to the Red Sea when Eritrea seceded in 1993 after decades of guerrilla warfare.

Gebremeskel said the prime minister has only recently changed his tune in his push for access to the Red Sea.

Ahmed "and his top military brass were profusely showering praises and State Medals on the Eritrea army and its senior officers. … But when he later developed the delusional malaise of 'sovereignty access to the sea' and an agenda of war against Eritrea, he began to sing to a different chorus," he said.

Eritrea and Ethiopia initially made peace after Abiy came to power in 2018, with Abiy winning a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts toward reconciliation.

In June, Eritrea accused Ethiopia of having a "long-brewing war agenda" aimed at seizing its Red Sea ports. Ethiopia recently said that Eritrea was "actively preparing to wage war against it."

Analysts say an alliance between Eritrea and regional forces in the troubled Tigray region may be forming, as fighting has been reported in recent weeks. Flights by the national carrier to the region were canceled last week over the renewed clashes.

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February 03, 2026

Ethiopia's prime minister accuses Eritrea of mass killings during Tigray war

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) —Ethiopia'sgovernment Tuesday for the first time acknowledged the involvement of troops fr...

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Russia resumes night strikes on major Ukrainian cities, ending brief reprieve agreed between Putin and Trump

Russia launched its biggest missile and drone attack on Ukraine so far this year on Tuesday, according to Ukrainian authorities, cutting heat to tens of thousands of people and ending a brief reprieve agreed to by Moscow and Washington as Ukrainians grapple with plummeting winter temperatures.

CNN staff in the capital Kyiv reported hearing several strong explosions in the city and authorities in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa reported Russian strikes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine is waiting for US reaction to Russia's latest wave of attacks on Ukraine's power grid.

"We are expecting the United States to respond about the Russian strikes. It was America's proposal to suspend strikes on energy facilities during this period of diplomacy and cold winter weather," Zelensky said in his nightly address.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week agreed to pause attacking major Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure until Sunday, following a "personal request" from US President Donald Trump, according to the Kremlin.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was unsurprised about Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters outside the West Wing, Leavitt said "I spoke with the president about it this morning, and his reaction was, unfortunately, unsurprised."

She said planned negotiations between Russia and Ukraine would proceed later this week in Abu Dhabi, with the US in a mediating role.

The pause also came following trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi, the first such talks since Moscow's invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky said Russia's attack was focused on energy facilities across at least six regions and involved 70 missiles and 450 attack drones, which according to a CNN tally, is the largest attack of the year so far.

"Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important to Russia than turning to diplomacy," Zelensky said Tuesday.

"The Russian army exploited the US proposal to briefly halt strikes not to support diplomacy, but to stockpile missiles and wait until the coldest days of the year, when temperatures across large parts of Ukraine drop below -20°C (-4°F)," Zelensky later added in a social media post.

Almost 1,200 high-rise buildings across two districts in the capital Kyiv were left without heat due to the strikes, according to mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.

Several multi-storey residential buildings and a kindergarten had been damaged and six people were injured, according to Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the Kyiv military administration.

One resident of a building in Kyiv that was damaged overnight told CNN that she felt Russia's attacks on residential infrastructure were "all being done on purpose to make people kind of give up."

"I couldn't imagine that in such cold weather they could hit residential buildings," said Tetyana, who gave her first name only.

Video posted by the State Emergency Service shows flames billowing out of a high-rise residential block and response teams working through the night in freezing conditions.

In southern Ukraine's Odesa, more than 50,000 people were left without power, the regional military administration said. The country's second largest city Kharkiv was attacked by Russian missiles and drones that targeted the city's energy infrastructure, causing damage that will leave at least 820 high-rise buildings without heat supply, Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram. And Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine, was attacked by ballistic missiles, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

"The goal is obvious: to cause maximum damage and leave the city without heat in severe frost," Terekhov said.

Kyiv residents spent 7 hours under an air raid alert, and the attack came as Ukrainians contend with some of the coldest temperatures this winter. On early Tuesday morning local time, the temperature in Kyiv was -20 Celsius ( - 4 Fahrenheit) and in Kharkiv -25 C (-13 F).

Residents could be seen taking shelter at the Kyiv metro bundled up in thick coats and hats, and huddled under sleeping bags and blankets.

This is the first time that strikes have been reported on energy facilities and major cities since last Thursday, according to Ukrainian authorities, though Russia continued to strike logistics routes and transport infrastructure during that time, withdeadly results.

"This is not a side effect of war. It is Russian strategy. Winter temperatures (being) used as a weapon. Heat and electricity as targets," EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, wrote in a statement, alongside a photo of herself sheltering overnight in her bathroom. "Every night, I think of the millions of people across the country shivering in their homes."

Other attacks on Tuesday extended beyond power stations. In Zaporizhzhia, drone strikes damaged a building, cars and shops. The strikes killed two teenagers and injured eight others, according to Ivan Fedorov, the head of the region's military administration.

"The air raid alert in Zaporizhzhia has been in effect for 23 hours straight," Fedorov wrote in a post on Telegram. "As soon as the security situation allows, we will begin assessing the damage. But, unfortunately, human lives cannot be brought back."

'Survival mode'

Before the Abu Dhabi talks, Russia had stepped up attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving swaths of the country facing power shortages and outages in the depths of winter.

The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at ending the war will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi.

Ukraine's biggest private energy company DTEK said the attack early Tuesday hit thermal power plants, damaging critical energy infrastructure and equipment "at a time when heat and electricity are essential."

DTEK's CEO Maxim Timchenko postedfootageTuesday showing the aftermath of an attack on a power plant at an undisclosed location, where the energy facility had been reduced to a pile of mangled metal and charred concrete.

The company is in "survival mode," Timchenko earlier told CNN, with the next few weeks critical as the country grapples with plummeting temperature and the "worst condition of our energy system in modern history."

DTEK currently operates five thermal power plants in Ukraine, of which two are currently offline and the other three are functioning at low capacity, Timchenko told CNN Monday in an interview from Dnipro.

He said the company was working to repair the damage from repeated Russian attacks, but it's often not possible in freezing weather conditions.

His biggest hope right now is that the energy ceasefire announced last week, which he says brought a five-day reprieve in attacks on DTEK's thermal power plants, is extended in talks in Abu Dhabi this week.

DTEK said Sunday that Moscow had launched a "large-scale attack" on its coal mines in the region, striking a bus carrying miners who had just finished their shift killing at least 12.

CNN's Helen Regan, Lauren Kent, Clare Sebastian, Svitlana Vlasova, Max Saltman and Kevin Liptak contributed reporting.

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February 03, 2026

Russia resumes night strikes on major Ukrainian cities, ending brief reprieve agreed between Putin and Trump

Russia launched its biggest missile and drone attack on Ukraine so far this year on Tuesday, according to Ukrainian authorities, cutting he...

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Immigration agents draw guns, arrest activists following them in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were trailing their vehicles on Tuesday in Minneapolis, while education leaders described anxiety and fear in Minnesota schools from the ongoing federal sweeps.

Immigration Enforcement Minnesota

Both are signs that tension remains in the Minneapolis area after the departure ofhigh-profile commanderGreg Bovino of U.S. Board Patrol and the arrival of Trump administration border czar Tom Homan, which followed thefatal shootingof protester Alex Pretti.

"There's less smoke on the ground," Gov. Tim Walz said, referring to tear gas and other irritants used by officers against protesters, "but I think it's more chilling than it was last week because of the shift to the schools, the shift to the children."

At least one person who had an anti-ICE message on clothing was handcuffed while face-down on the ground. An Associated Press photographer witnessed the arrests.

ICE agents are changing their tactics

Federal agents in the Twin Cities lately have been conducting more targeted immigration arrests at homes and neighborhoods, rather than staging in parking lots. The convoys have been harder to find and less aggressive. Alerts in activist group chats have been more about sightings than immigration-related detainments.

Several cars followed officers through south Minneapolis after there were reports of them knocking at homes. Officers stopped their vehicles and ordered activists to come out of a car at gunpoint. Agents told reporters at the scene to stay back and threatened to use pepper spray.

A federal judge last month putlimits on how officerstreat motorists who are following them but not obstructing their operations. Safely following agents "at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop," the judge said. An appeals court, however, set the order aside.

Bovino, who was leading immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and other big U.S. cities, left town last week, shortly after Pretti's death became thesecond local killingof a U.S. citizen in January.

Homan, who was dispatched to Minnesota to succeed Bovino, haswarned that protesterscould face consequences if they interfere with officers.

Operation Metro Surge affecting schools

Walz and education leaders held a news conference to say the presence of immigration officers is frightening some school communities. Brenda Lewis, superintendent of Fridley Public Schools in suburban Minneapolis, said she's been followed twice by ICE agents since speaking publicly and that school board members have had ICE vehicles outside their homes for hours.

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"Students are afraid to come to school, parents are afraid to drop them off," Lewis, a U.S. citizen, said. "Staff are coming to work wondering if today will be the day something happens in one of our buildings."

She said Fridley, which has Somali and Ecuadorian families, has added security and trained observers, adjusted drop-off procedures and increased mental health support. Tracy Xiong, a social worker in the Columbia Heights district, said she's been coordinating grocery deliveries to school families and finding volunteers to drive children.

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the arrests in south Minneapolis and the concerns of educators.

Grand jury seeks communications, records

Meanwhile, Tuesday was the deadline for Minneapolis to produce information for a federal grand jury. It's part of a U.S. Justice Department request for records of any effort to stifle the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Officials have denounced it as a bullying tactic.

"We have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, but when the federal government weaponizes the criminal justice system against political opponents, it's important to stand up and fight back," said Ally Peters, spokesperson for Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat.

She said the city was complying, but she didn't elaborate. Other state and local offices run by Democrats were given subpoenas, though it's not known whether they had the same deadline. People familiar with the matter have told the AP that the subpoenas arerelated to an investigationinto whether Minnesota officials obstructed enforcement through public statements.

No release for man in Omar incident

Elsewhere, a man charged with squirting apple cider vinegar on Democratic U.S. Rep.Ilhan Omarwill remain in jail. U.S. Magistrate Judge David Schultz granted a federal prosecutor's request to keep Anthony Kazmierczak in custody.

"We simply cannot have protesters and people — whatever side of the aisle they're on — running up to representatives who are conducting official business, and holding town halls, and assaulting them," Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar said Tuesday.

Defense attorney John Fossum said the vinegar posed a low risk to Omar. He said Kazmierczak's health problems weren't being properly addressed in jail and that his release would be appropriate.

Raza reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. AP reporters Ed White in Detroit and Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed.

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February 03, 2026

Immigration agents draw guns, arrest activists following them in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were trailing their vehicles on Tuesday in...

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Susan Lucci talks grieving loss of husband of 52 years, 41 years on 'All My Children'

NEW YORK – After her husband of 52 years died,Susan Luccididn't think she'd ever feel joy again.

During her more than 40-year run on the ABC soap opera"All My Children,"Lucci's character Erica Kane married 11 times. But off-screen, Lucci had a once-in-a-lifetime love. She married Austrian chef and producer Helmut Huber in 1969 when she was 22 years old. They had two children together, Liza and Andreas, who they raised in Garden City, New York.

When Huber died in 2022, Lucci says she couldn't listen to songs with lyrics. She felt "like half a person." But at some point, she started seeing signs.

First, it was the dimes. Suddenly, Lucci found them everywhere – two of them paired together on a bench, entire bags of them on her bedside table. Huber's birthday was Oct. 10 and he loved the double 10s in his birthdate, Lucci says. Then feathers started showing up in places where there were no birds or, at an outdoor dinner, landing on her place setting and no one else's. It was a "tickle" from the man with a great sense of humor, she believes.

Lucci never planned to tell anyone about the signs, let alone write about them. But she felt compelled to put pen to paper. And more than just writing down memories of Huber, she realized she had lessons from her grief journey to share. In"La Lucci,"out now from Blackstone Publishing, Lucci holds her heaviest moments in one hand and joy in the other.

Susan Lucci remembers losing 'larger than life' husband in new memoir

There's a line that stuck with me even after I read Lucci's memoir. Six weeks after Huber died, a friend of his came up to Lucci at a gathering and said, "There must be a crack in the universe with Helmut gone."

He was like that, she says: charismatic enough to rip a hole open in the sky.

"It was wonderful to hear such beautiful words said about the love of my life," Lucci says. "He was larger than life, one of one and very authentic, very comfortable in his own skin. And as our daughter-in-law in Europe said, 'You just always felt safe with Helmut.' You always felt like he knew what to do and he would do it and you'd have a great time in his company. You'd be laughing the whole time too."

It's evident in one humorous anecdote from before Lucci won herDaytime Emmyafter 18 unsuccessful nominations in 1999. The couple got a new dog, and Lucci joked she should name him Emmy so she'd at least have one.

"Forget Emmy. Let's go to Oscar," Huber told her, Lucci says. "Let's just go right to the top. We'll name him Oscar."

When he died, she had a difficult time accepting that he was gone.

"I'm not somebody who takes no for an answer very easily. I will try to find around the fence, under the fence, through the fence, over the fence, and that of course was something that I couldn't do anything about – losing my husband," Lucci says.

Prayer helped, as did her longtime friendships. At some point, a friend told her that she had a choice in how she grieved. She was allowed to keep living her life. She was allowed to feel joy again, and she would.

"You don't know where you're going to learn your lessons, you don't know what things are going to be said to you to help you through," Lucci says. "My husband's friends stayed with me, my friends, our friends, and I feel so incredibly grateful for them. We have a lot of laughs. We do things together and I'm just so happy to be in their company. They helped me stand up when I didn't think I could."

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Susan Lucci gives health update:Her role as a heart health ambassador

Looking back on 'All My Children,' nearly 60 years after its debut

There's another kind of grief that Lucci writes about in "La Lucci" – mourning the end of "All My Children," her home for over four decades.

Lucci was cast as Erica Kane after graduating college. Signing a three-year contract felt daunting at that age. She remembers the early days vividly. They all knew "rather quickly" that the show was a hit, especially when press and speaking requests started flooding in.

The final days come back to her with as much clarity. In April 2011, she got a call at 4:30 a.m. from the show creator Agnes Nixon. Nixon didn't want Lucci to be blindsided. Lucci says she felt "terrible" showing up to work the next day and knowing what her castmates did not. She had just returned from her book tour for her first memoir and spent the time assuring fans that the show was still "in such good shape."

She pressed Brian Frons, former ABC Daytime president, about the decision.

"He said, without batting an eyelash, because it was 40% less to produce a food show. And he looked very proud of himself," Lucci says. "Agnes had told me that the fans had actually crashed the whole system at ABC. There was a number you could call, so I did call it … 'To register you're upset at "All My Children" being canceled, press one. For all other ABC business, press two.' The fans were indeed there for us, but the choice of the network was to cancel."

Lucci was unsure if she'd ever be cast again. She had just moved cross-country to Los Angeles because it was more cost-efficient to shoot "All My Children" there.

"I had been playing Erica my whole adult life and I didn't know – how will it be to walk around now? I'm not Erica anymore and don't play Erica anymore. Will I ever work again?" Lucci says.

In the end, it was the fans who helped a new dream come to life for Lucci. They'd been campaigning online to get her on "Desperate Housewives." By the time she met with creator Mark Cherry, the show had already wrapped, but he cast her on "Devious Maids." La Lucci was back on TV dramas.

Where do soap operas belong today?

Flip the channel during working hours and you'll still find"Days of Our Lives"and"General Hospital"punching out new storylines. But since Lucci left "All My Children," our television appetites have largely changed. Streaming rules, limited series are all the rage and long wait times (we're looking at you,"Stranger Things") are common.

As daytime's most famous face, I had to ask Lucci – do soap operas have a place in today's digital streaming age?

Lucci offers a resounding "yes." Her favorite these days is"Beyond the Gates,"a new CBS show that follows multiple generations of affluent Black families in the Maryland suburbs.

"I think there is a place for it. I think people like to see other people's relationships and how they navigate themselves through (life)," Lucci says. "The connection from storytelling is as old as time and as relevant as it ever was. And maybe now, because of these difficult times and these different times and these technology times, to have stories told with human relationships at the core – I think human beings will always want to see that."

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find heron Instagram, subscribe to our weeklyBooks newsletteror tell her what you're reading atcmulroy@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Susan Lucci mourns husband and 'All My Children' in new memoir

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February 03, 2026

Susan Lucci talks grieving loss of husband of 52 years, 41 years on 'All My Children'

NEW YORK – After her husband of 52 years died,Susan Luccididn't think she'd ever feel joy again. During...

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Flavor Flav Says He Was Approached to Join “Dancing with the Stars” After His Viral Guest Judge Stint (Exclusive)

Neilson Barnard/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Flavor Flav discussed some new TV projects while talking with PEOPLE at Steven Tyler's 7th Annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party on Feb. 1

• He also reveals he was asked to compete on Dancing with the Stars after appearing as a guest judge on season 34

• While he says he "had fun" behind the judging table, he is sharing whether he plans to accept the offer to take the dance floor

Expect to seeFlavor Flavback on your screens soon!

The rapper, 66, caught up with PEOPLE at Steven Tyler's 7th Annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party on Sunday, Feb. 1, where he teased what he has coming up. Two decades after his hit dating seriesFlavor of Lovefirst aired, Flav says he has decided to return to reality TV.

"I am getting ready to do another reality TV show, but it's going to be bigger thanFlavor of Love," he shares. "It's not going to be a dating concept. The reason why is because I have already been there. I've done that. I set the tone for all other reality dating shows."

"I want to come back with something bigger and better and something that's going to have me lasting on TV longer. I got something in the works," he continues. "I got something for you guys, and this is a show that I'll be able to do until my death."

The secret project might not be the only show Flav will be appearing on in the near future. After recently guest judgingDancing with the Starsfor season 34'sRock & Roll Hall of Fame Night,he reveals he has been approached to join the show again — this time as a contestant.

"They want me to," he shares. "They want me to come back and dance. I don't know. I might do it if I think I could do it."

When asked if he thinks he could, he quips, "No, no, I don't."

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Still, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee isn't dismissing the possibility entirely. He even admits that he "had fun" joining as a guest judge — "even though I made a mistake," he jokes, of givingAlix EarleandVal Chmerkovskiya nine by accident, which messed up their chance for a perfect score.

"I was trying to change it back to a 10, and they were like, 'No, Flavor,' " he recalls. "Everybody was like, 'How could you do that?' "

The "Fight the Power" rapper also spills on his memorable interaction withRobert Irwin, who ultimately won the season.

"That boy told me, 'Yo Flav, I got a crocodile and his name is Flavor Flav, and he's the fiercest one,' " Flav reveals. "I'm like, 'Wow!'"

Disney/Christopher Willard

At the taping in November, Flav told PEOPLEhow he decided to score the couplesas a non-dancer, explaining that it mostly came down to "precision."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"I looked for the perfect timing. You know what I'm saying? And I looked for the perfect teamwork. Each one of these couples tonight had all that and more," the musician said at the time.

Read the original article onPeople

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Flavor Flav Says He Was Approached to Join “Dancing with the Stars” After His Viral Guest Judge Stint (Exclusive)

Neilson Barnard/Getty NEED TO KNOW Flavor Flav discussed some new TV projects while talking with PEOPLE at St...

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Elizabeth Hurley Has Become ‘a Shut-In’ While Dating Billy Ray Cyrus: ‘He Treasures Alone Time’

Less than a year into dating,Billy Ray CyrusandLiz Hurleyare totally in sync — except when they aren't.

Getty Images" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

A source says the country crooner, 64, and actress, 60, have very different social preferences: Liz is a butterfly while Billy Ray is a "hermit." "He has no problem turning on the charisma when he's on stage, but he treasures alone time more than a lot of stars do," explains the source.

KGC-356/STAR MAX/IPx/Newscom/The Mega Agency" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

The Grammy winner was a good sport at Liz'sJames Bond–themed New Year's Eve bash, where she donned a white bikini and fur coat. But the source says he prefers a night of TV and takeout. "Liz has become more of a shut-in since they got together, and clearly she wants the relationship to last if she's making those sorts of changes," adds the source. "It's definitely love, but they're still figuring out their social lives as a couple."

• Prince Harry and Elizabeth Hurley Eye Double Dates With Their Partners: 'They Really Hit It Off' (Exclusive)

• Prince Harry Shows Support for Elizabeth Hurley in Court

• Elizabeth Hurley Sizzles in Plunging Red Gown Alongside Billy Ray Cyrus at 2025 CMA Awards

This storyElizabeth Hurley Has Become 'a Shut-In' While Dating Billy Ray Cyrus: 'He Treasures Alone Time'first appeared onStar. AddStaras aPreferred Source by clicking here.

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February 03, 2026

Elizabeth Hurley Has Become ‘a Shut-In’ While Dating Billy Ray Cyrus: ‘He Treasures Alone Time’

Less than a year into dating,Billy Ray CyrusandLiz Hurleyare totally in sync — except when they aren't. Getty...

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Judge wipes away order requiring feds to preserve evidence gathered at Alex Pretti shooting scene

A Minnesota judge has wiped away an order he issued last month that required federal investigators to preserve evidence gathered at the scene ofAlex Pretti's fatal shootingby immigration officers.

US District Judge Eric Tostrud said he was lifting the emergency order he issued the day of Pretti's shooting that barred various federal investigatory offices from destroying or altering any evidence related to the incident because he had gotten assurances from federal officials that evidence would be properly maintained.

The judge, an appointee of President Donald Trump, had imposed the requirement at the behest of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office after they raised concerns in court that their own investigative efforts into the incident could be undermined absent his intervention.

"Though the record is not one-sided, the greater weight of the evidence shows Defendants are not likely to destroy or improperly alter evidence related to Mr. Pretti's shooting during the life of this case, and other relevant considerations do not on balance favor a continuing preservation order," Tostrud wrote in an18-page decision.

"The temporary restraining order's terms are not meaningfully different from defendants' preservation policies," the judge wrote. "An ongoing preservation order – and the contempt power that accompanies it – would overlay, not just defendants' preservation polices, but any investigative measures that might alter evidence."

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension told CNN that talks with federal investigators on sharing evidence in the case are ongoing, adding that they are "hopeful" an agreement can be reached. Thus far, however, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations have not shared information with local investigators.

In his ruling, Tostrud went on to say that "examination and testing often leave evidence in a different condition after testing than it was before" and that such potential changes occurring under his now-dissolved order would have forced him to play what he described as an improper role in the government's investigation into the shooting.

"Legitimate concerns over whether those types of investigative measures comply with a preservation order might reasonably prompt defendants to seek judicial direction," Tostrud wrote. "That, in turn, would inject the court into Defendants' investigation, not just their evidence preservation."

The BCA had been iced out of an earlier federal probe into a different fatal shooting of a US citizen,Renee Good, by federal agents in Minnesota and the lawsuit before Tostrud represented a frenzied effort by the state investigators to ensure they'd later have access to the evidence for their own inspection.

An FBI official swore in court papers last month that "evidence was packaged by trained evidence collectors" who wore the correct personal equipment and packaged the evidence in tamper-proof evidence tape. The evidence the FBI collected is in a secure evidence room with controlled access in the FBI's Minneapolis Field Office.

CNN's Holmes Lybrand and Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report.

Correction: The name of Judge Eric Tostrud has been corrected.

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Judge wipes away order requiring feds to preserve evidence gathered at Alex Pretti shooting scene

A Minnesota judge has wiped away an order he issued last month that required federal investigators to preserve evidence gathered at the sce...

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