🇮🇷 — Iran’s judiciary chief has warned protesters of a harsh response as demonstrations fueled by economic hardship continue to spread across the country.

Authorities accuse foreign adversaries of exploiting unrest, while rights groups report dozens killed and thousands detained, figures the state has not confirmed.

The protests began over currency collapse and rising living costs and have since expanded nationwide. Senior military and political leaders have vowed not to yield under pressure.

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🇪🇺 — Severe winter weather has disrupted transport across western Europe, grounding hundreds of flights and delaying rail services. Major hubs such as Amsterdam’s Schiphol and Paris airports reported widespread cancellations, while thousands of travelers were stranded overnight.

Authorities also imposed road restrictions in parts of France as snow and ice created dangerous conditions. At least six weather-related deaths have been reported across the region.

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🇺🇸 — A fatal shooting during an ICE operation in Minneapolis has intensified scrutiny of expanded federal immigration enforcement. Authorities say a woman used her vehicle as a weapon against agents, prompting a defensive response, but local officials dispute that account, citing video footage that appears to contradict federal claims. The incident comes amid a sharp surge in ICE arrests across the city, part of what DHS calls its largest-ever operation in Minnesota. Community leaders warn the scale and visibility of the enforcement campaign are deepening fear, particularly among Somali-American residents, and risk further political and social fallout.

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🇺🇸🇨🇴 — After months of escalating rhetoric and sanctions, US President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro have spoken directly for the first time, signaling a tentative effort to slow a diplomatic slide.

The call followed sharp disagreements over drug policy, US military actions in the region, and Colombia’s criticism of Washington’s handling of Latin America. While deep differences remain, both sides acknowledged the need for dialogue, with early talks underway about a possible White House visit by Petro.

The exchange reflects a fragile pause in a broader realignment of US–Latin American relations, where cooperation and confrontation increasingly coexist.

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Editorial Note:

Trump’s conciliatory call with Colombia comes as his rhetoric across the region has grown sharper.

In recent remarks, the US president openly suggested that Cuba could be next to “fall” after Venezuela, while also singling out Colombia as part of a wider campaign to reshape Latin America’s political order.

The contrast between private diplomacy and public pressure highlights a familiar pattern in US hemispheric policy, where dialogue and coercion advance in parallel, leaving regional leaders weighing engagement against the risk of escalation.

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🇷🇺🇬🇧🇺🇸 — Britain has acknowledged providing “enabling support” to the US seizure of the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera in international waters near Scotland, a move Moscow says violates basic principles of maritime law.

While London insists its role was limited and stops short of direct interdiction, Russia argues the operation amounts to the extraterritorial enforcement of US sanctions, applied without international mandate.

The incident underscores growing concern that freedom of navigation is being subordinated to power-based sanctions enforcement, setting a precedent that could further destabilize global shipping routes.

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🇺🇸🇩🇰🇳🇦🇹🇴 —
Opinion: Trump’s renewed rhetoric on Greenland has not produced a plan or policy, but it has exposed an uncomfortable truth about NATO’s internal limits. As Danish leaders warn that any coercion over Greenland would break the alliance, the debate has shifted into the realm of hypotheticals, and that is precisely why it matters.

Whether through gradual pressure or open confrontation, any scenario involving force between allies would leave NATO unable to act decisively, revealing an alliance built on restraint rather than enforceable guarantees.

Greenland, in this sense, is less a flashpoint than a stress test for a security order under strain.

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🇺🇸 — The U.S. Senate is preparing to vote on a resolution aimed at restricting President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval.

The move follows the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a U.S. raid in Caracas, which has raised concerns among lawmakers about executive authority and transparency.

Supporters say the vote could be close, reflecting bipartisan unease over prolonged military involvement. The measure faces significant hurdles even if it passes the Senate.

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🇾🇪/🇸🇦/🇦🇪 — Saudi Arabia says the UAE helped Southern Transitional Council leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi flee Yemen after he skipped talks in Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition claims he traveled from Aden to Somaliland and on to Abu Dhabi, allegations denied so far by the UAE.

Yemeni authorities removed al-Zubaidi from office and launched a treason probe, while Saudi-backed forces moved to retake key positions in Aden. The episode has deepened tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over Yemen’s future.

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🇪🇺 — The European Commission has ordered X to preserve all Grok-related documents and data until the end of 2026 amid concerns over unlawful AI-generated imagery. Regulators said the move extends an earlier retention order and is not a new formal investigation.

A UK watchdog has also warned that Grok has been used to create sexualised images of children, prompting political and regulatory backlash. X says it removes illegal content and cooperates with authorities.

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🇺🇸 — U.S. businesses are awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on the legality of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump under emergency powers. If the court strikes them down, companies could seek refunds totaling nearly $150 billion, though many expect delays and legal hurdles.

Several firms have filed lawsuits to protect their claims, while others have sold refund rights at steep discounts. Customs officials have moved refunds to electronic processing, but uncertainty remains over how quickly money would be returned.

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🇺🇸/🇻🇪 — U.S. President Donald Trump said American oversight of Venezuela could last for years after U.S. forces seized President Nicolás Maduro in a major raid. Venezuelan officials reported that 100 people were killed in the operation, with dozens wounded, and declared a week of mourning.

Washington has recognized interim leader Delcy Rodríguez and signaled indefinite control over Venezuelan oil sales, while offering no timeline for elections. Trump declined to explain why opposition figures were sidelined following Maduro’s removal.

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🇬🇧🌍 — A spider-infecting “zombie fungus” and a flame-coloured shrub inspired by Studio Ghibli are among the species formally named by scientists in 2025, according to researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. From fungi that burst from trapdoor spiders to orchids that mimic insects for pollination, the discoveries highlight how much of Earth’s biodiversity remains undocumented.

Yet scientists warn that many of these species may vanish before they can be protected. Habitat loss, climate change, and resource extraction are eroding ecosystems faster than taxonomy can keep pace, raising the risk of losing potential food sources, medicines, and ecological knowledge before they are even known to science.

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🇮🇩 — Flash floods in North Sumatra’s Batang Toru forest have dealt a devastating blow to the world’s rarest great ape. Researchers estimate that dozens of Tapanuli orangutans may have been killed by floods and landslides in late 2025, a loss that could represent more than a tenth of the population in the species’ core habitat.

Scientists warn that extreme rainfall, worsened by deforestation and climate change, is turning natural disasters into existential threats. With fewer than 800 Tapanuli orangutans left worldwide and slow reproduction rates, even a single event of this scale risks pushing the species closer to extinction.

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🇮🇷 — Iran is facing a widening wave of unrest as protests driven by economic hardship escalate into armed clashes. Large demonstrations have erupted in Tehran, while the most severe violence has been reported in western regions, where IRGC ground units have replaced local police and at least a dozen deaths are reported. Authorities have imposed internet restrictions and carried out mass arrests as they struggle to contain the unrest.

At the same time, Iran has launched air defense exercises along its borders, signaling heightened security concerns amid internal instability and regional tension. The convergence of economic crisis, domestic unrest, and military signaling marks a critical transitional moment for the country.

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🇵🇸/🇮🇱 — Israeli strikes have continued in Gaza despite an announced ceasefire, killing more Palestinians, including children, and pushing civilian casualties even higher. Aid groups say violence and restrictions on humanitarian access have persisted for weeks, hollowing out the truce. Progress toward the next phase of the U.S.-backed peace plan is now stalled, as Israel links aid and border openings to the return of a single hostage’s remains, drawing growing international criticism.

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🇺🇸 — The U.S. is making historic shifts on the world stage: President Trump announced the U.S. will withdraw from dozens of international organizations, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the core treaty behind the Paris Agreement, signaling a retreat from global climate cooperation.

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🇸🇾 — Heavy fighting has erupted in Aleppo as Syrian government forces clash with the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led SDF, triggering mass displacement and civilian casualties. Aid agencies warn more than 100,000 people have fled amid shelling that has shut hospitals and halted flights. The violence follows the collapse of U.S.-brokered political talks, leaving the SDF isolated and exposed. Critics say the crisis highlights the failure of Washington’s Syria strategy, as regional powers move in and civilians pay the price.

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🇺🇸 — The killing of Renee Nicole Good during a massive ICE operation in Minneapolis has sparked protests and renewed scrutiny of U.S. immigration enforcement. Federal officials say an agent acted in self-defense, while local leaders and witnesses dispute that account, calling the shooting reckless and unjustified. With state investigators pushed aside and tensions rising, the case has become a flashpoint in the national debate over aggressive federal crackdowns and civilian safety.

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🇷🇺🇺🇦 — Unconfirmed reports indicate a series of explosions in and around Lvov, western Ukraine, following air raid alerts late Wednesday. Local authorities acknowledged that detonations were heard and stated that emergency services are working to determine what was hit and where. Officials later said that critical infrastructure was targeted, though details remain limited.

Claims circulating on Telegram and X suggest the possible use of an Oreshnik missile system, based on unverified footage and monitoring channel reports. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian authorities have confirmed the type of weapons involved, and the footage has not been independently authenticated. The situation remains fluid as broader drone and missile activity is reported elsewhere in Ukraine.

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