Bel Trew

Maternal and infant mortality is rising or at risk of rising in fragile settings as foreign-aid cuts, conflict, displacement and underfunded health systems deprive women of skilled birth attendants, medicines, transport and emergency care. In the Central African Republic, hospital staff describe preventable newborn and maternal deaths after UNFPA-supported clinics and maternity services closed, while refugees from Sudan put additional pressure on scarce facilities. Nigeria faces a similarly severe crisis, accounting for about 29% of global maternal deaths, with unaffordable hospital care, shortages of doctors and supplies, unreliable electricity and ongoing insurgency leaving women and babies vulnerable. Health workers warn that the loss of funding will reverse decades of progress in reducing maternal mortality.

Donald Trump has intensified threats to annex Greenland, arguing that the mineral-rich, strategically important territory is necessary for U.S. national security and that military force remains an option. European leaders, including Keir Starmer, have defended Greenland’s sovereignty and rallied behind Denmark and NATO. The explainer examines the strategic, mineral and geopolitical reasons behind Trump’s continued focus on the island.

A growing volunteer network in Minneapolis, known as “ICE commuters,” is spending weeks patrolling the streets and monitoring federal immigration agents after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The volunteers told correspondent Bel Trew that they intend to continue documenting federal law enforcement as the Trump administration’s crackdown intensifies.

British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sittah describes the aftermath of Israeli air strikes in Beirut as an “absolute massacre.” He says hospitals across the city were overwhelmed by casualties arriving almost simultaneously, including dead patients and children with severe injuries. The strikes reportedly killed at least 182 people in Lebanon after Israel targeted more than 100 sites in a ten-minute wave of attacks.

Bel Trew reports from Minneapolis on the human impact of ICE raids carried out under President Donald Trump’s administration. The video features residents afraid to leave their homes, a pastor delivering food to people avoiding public spaces, and a disabled female veteran who says ICE agents smashed her car windows, alongside people organizing against the enforcement actions.

Correspondent Bel Trew joins a Jordanian military flight delivering aid by air over Gaza, documenting vast destruction, Israeli tank damage and families sheltering in tents. The report emphasizes the severe humanitarian crisis and the desperation of civilians who are too weak or vulnerable to compete for food on the ground.

Sally Lane and John Letts describe the devastating effort to bring their son Jack home after he travelled to Syria in 2014 and became imprisoned by Isis in Syria and Iraq. The British-Canadian couple recount Jack’s struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, his conversion to Islam, his Arabic studies in Kuwait and the phone call announcing that he was in Syria. Their long campaign has involved trying to secure his release and return to Oxford while coping with the collapse of their family life.

A groundbreaking HIV-prevention drug, described as the closest thing the world has to a vaccine, is being rolled out in countries severely affected by AIDS. Reporting from Eswatini, Bel Trew examines the rollout and the hope that the drug could help bring the pandemic to an end.

A newborn girl in the Central African Republic died two hours after birth after suffering complications believed to have involved inhaling amniotic fluid. The clinic outside Bangui lacked neonatal intensive-care facilities and an ambulance, forcing her family to transport her for two hours on a motorcycle. The case illustrates how foreign-aid cuts are undermining progress in reducing maternal and infant deaths, particularly in countries such as the Central African Republic, which has one of the world's highest neonatal mortality rates.

The video examines Israel’s seizure of Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, reportedly the first such Israeli military control deep inside sovereign Lebanese territory in more than 25 years. It explores concerns that Israel may seek to extend its borders through sustained ground occupations in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, despite a purported ceasefire. Lebanon’s prime minister accuses Israel of scorched-earth tactics and collective punishment, while Israel’s defence minister says operations will continue until Hezbollah is defeated. The development raises questions about the ceasefire, wider peace talks and the impact on Lebanese civilians.

Bel Trew examines the escalating tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran and Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a ceasefire. Israel launched airstrikes on central and western Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz and Karaj, after Iranian missile attacks carried out in response to an Israeli attack on Beirut.

A documentary from Nigeria examines “kito” attacks targeting LGBTQ+ people, in which victims are lured through online dating or social media, kidnapped, tortured and extorted. It follows survivors living with HIV as aid cuts threaten the clinics and shelters that provide essential healthcare and protection.

The documentary examines the reversal of decades of progress in reducing maternal deaths, attributing the worsening crisis to unprecedented international aid cuts, escalating conflict, poverty and collapsing healthcare systems. Bel Trew reports from dangerous locations, focusing on mothers, babies and frontline healthcare workers confronting the consequences.

Israel and Hamas remain divided over the sequence of steps required for a Gaza peace agreement. Israel says it will not withdraw from the current Yellow Line until Hamas genuinely disarms, while Hamas says it will surrender weapons only after Israel ends its attacks, withdraws to its previous positions and permits greater aid flows. Donald Trump said his Board of Peace had agreed a roadmap involving Hamas disarmament and a phased Israeli withdrawal, but the details remain contested. The proposed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza welcomed the progress, while Palestinian civilians expressed cautious hope alongside deep concern over worsening humanitarian conditions.

Donald Trump’s announced Gaza agreement represents a potentially significant step, but major obstacles remain. Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad said the group accepted a 15-point plan involving conditional disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, aid deliveries, reconstruction and a transfer of administration to a Palestinian transitional committee. Hamas insists that weapons will be surrendered only after Israel withdraws, reconstruction begins and international forces enter Gaza, while Israel reportedly maintains that Hamas must disarm and the territory must be demilitarised before any withdrawal. The sequence of disarmament and withdrawal, the timeline, the proposed administrative handover and the effects of the wider US-Israel-Iran conflict remain unclear. Palestinians in Gaza remain displaced, deprived of basic supplies and distrustful that the announcement will end the violence.

Nineteen prominent Israeli public figures, including former ambassadors, a former attorney general and a former Knesset speaker, are urging the UK and European Union to impose a complete ban on trade and investment with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. They argue that continued economic ties enable settlement expansion, undermine Palestinian self-determination and contradict the International Court of Justice’s ruling that Israel’s presence and settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory are unlawful. The UK has sanctioned some settlers and advises against settlement trade but has not imposed an outright ban, with Trade Minister Chris Bryant citing difficulties in verifying the origin of goods and the need to preserve wider commercial ties. The appeal comes amid increased settlement expansion, settler violence and Palestinian displacement in the West Bank, alongside calls from British MPs for stronger government action.

Nineteen prominent Israeli public figures, including former ambassadors and an attorney general, have urged the UK and European Union to impose a full ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. They argue that the settlements are illegal under international law, expanding rapidly, and that European condemnation has not been matched by effective policy. The appeal comes as EU foreign ministers discuss the issue and follows cross-party calls in the UK Parliament. The British government currently advises against settlement trade but has not imposed a ban, citing difficulties in verifying the origin of goods.

Palestinian paediatrician Hussam Abu Safiya, former director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital, has been held by Israel without charge since December 2024. His lawyer says he appeared severely injured, weak and close to losing consciousness during a recent prison visit, prompting warnings that he could die. Physicians for Human Rights–Israel says 56 Gaza healthcare workers remain in Israeli custody and that hundreds have been detained since October 2023. The piece links the detention and alleged torture of medics to the wider destruction of Gaza's healthcare system, citing UN experts who describe attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers as deliberate. Israel says Abu Safiya is suspected of working with Hamas and denies systematic abuse or targeting of medics, but the article notes that no formal charge or supporting evidence has been made public.

Children in northern Nigeria continue to face abduction, forced marriage, sexual violence and trauma from Boko Haram, Islamic State affiliates and criminal gangs. Survivors Aisha and Hawwa describe being abducted at five, abused for years and denied education, while families in Adamawa report children disappearing on the way to school or from their homes. The conflict, poverty and destruction of school infrastructure have left an estimated 18 million Nigerian children out of school. Aid cuts by the United States and United Kingdom are threatening programmes that help survivors return to education, although Nigeria is increasing its own education spending. Community leaders and officials warn that the expanding education crisis could fuel radicalisation, criminality and wider instability.

LGBTQ+ Nigerians are increasingly targeted in violent “kito” attacks, in which gangs use dating apps and social media to entrap, torture, film and extort victims. Survivors describe police fears, family abuse, job loss and deadly stigma, while safe houses and HIV services face closure after major US, UK and other foreign-aid cuts. Activists warn that criminalization and discrimination are forcing people away from public healthcare, interrupting HIV treatment and prevention, and creating a double threat of rising infections and violence. UNAIDS and medical experts say the disruption risks reversing global progress against AIDS, despite advances such as the twice-yearly preventive drug lenacapavir.

The proposed U.S.-Iran agreement is presented as granting Tehran extensive concessions, including sanctions relief, access to frozen assets, export waivers and a potential $300 billion rehabilitation fund, while receiving only a reaffirmation that Iran will not build nuclear weapons. The plan leaves major issues unresolved, including enriched nuclear material, control of the Strait of Hormuz, Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon and the final terms of the settlement. Donald Trump has portrayed the deal as a historic victory, but Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the Lebanon ceasefire and says Israeli forces will remain there, raising doubts about whether the agreement can end the wider conflict.

Donald Trump’s proposed Iran peace deal risks colliding with Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon. Trump has urged Israel to stop attacks on Beirut because they could undermine the agreement, while Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz insist Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon and continue acting against perceived militant threats. Israeli opposition figure Ehud Barak blames Netanyahu for weakening Israel, while Hezbollah presents the truce as a step toward liberating Lebanese territory. Israel’s refusal to support including Lebanon in the ceasefire, alongside ongoing displacement and attacks, creates a serious threat to the deal and increases the risk of a wider Israel-Lebanon war.

Unprecedented cuts to international development assistance have severely disrupted global HIV programmes, prompting UNAIDS to warn that decades of progress are being reversed. Funding reductions have interrupted antiretroviral treatment, prevention, testing and condom distribution, with new infections rising among women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions. At least 570,000 AIDS-related deaths were recorded in 2025, more than twice the target required to end AIDS as a public-health threat. US cuts under Donald Trump decimated PEPFAR, while the UK’s decision to shift aid toward defence added to the shortfall. The disruption is especially dangerous for criminalized groups, including LGBT+ people, sex workers and drug users, who depend on foreign-funded clinics. UNAIDS chief Winnie Byanyima urged governments to restore global solidarity and scale up promising tools such as long-acting lenacapavir to maintain the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.

Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, created to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and broadened into a global diplomatic project, has stalled amid missing US funding, frozen donations, opaque financial arrangements and the failure to establish its proposed governing and policing initiatives. The article argues that Trump’s emphasis on grand ceremonies and personal diplomacy has not been matched by the practical work needed to implement a peace plan. His attempt to link a potential Iran peace deal to Muslim-majority states joining the Abraham Accords further complicates negotiations already burdened by disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran’s government.

Donald Trump’s demand that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan and other Muslim-majority countries join the Abraham Accords as a mandatory condition for an Iran peace deal is portrayed as an unnecessary complication likely to derail negotiations. The proposal comes amid an unpopular US war with Iran, major economic and energy disruptions caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockade, and warnings of a global food crisis. The article argues that Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank have already weakened the Abraham Accords and made regional normalization politically difficult, while unresolved disputes over Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon and Palestinian statehood make a broader agreement highly fragile.

Global progress in reducing preventable maternal deaths has slowed, with the worldwide maternal mortality rate still far above the UN target for 2030. Cuts to US foreign aid under Donald Trump have closed mobile clinics, eliminated midwife positions, reduced access to medicines, and are projected to cause substantial additional maternal deaths in vulnerable African countries. The Central African Republic’s refugee communities are already experiencing these consequences, while the UK’s planned 40 per cent reduction in aid is expected to further weaken health services. Experts warn that withdrawing funding will reverse hard-won gains and increase deaths among women and newborns.

Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug developed by Gilead Sciences, is being introduced in nine high-risk countries, beginning with Eswatini, where sex workers and other vulnerable groups have struggled to access daily PrEP after US-funded mobile clinics closed. The injection offers near-complete protection and has been welcomed by recipients and health advocates as a potential turning point in the AIDS epidemic. However, only about three million people are currently planned to receive it by 2028, far below the global need, while many countries—including parts of Latin America—remain outside the rollout or lack procurement access. Health organizations warn that fragmented delivery, inadequate funding and wider foreign aid cuts could lead to millions of additional infections and deaths, despite prevention being far cheaper than lifelong HIV treatment.

Jack Letts, a British-Canadian man who travelled to Syria in 2014 and denies fighting for Isis, has been held without charge or trial since Kurdish forces detained him in 2016. His parents, Sally Lane and John Letts, say he was tortured and abused and have spent years seeking his repatriation. They were convicted in the UK after attempting to send him money, while the UK later revoked his citizenship; Canadian courts declined to require Ottawa to bring him home. Letts was transferred with thousands of other Isis-linked detainees from Syria to an Iraqi prison, where rights groups warn of torture, enforced disappearance, unfair trials and possible executions. The UK and Canadian governments say they will not repatriate him, leaving his family fearing for his life and accusing both governments of abandoning their responsibilities.

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was killed in al-Tayri while reporting on Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials say she and colleague Zeinab Faraj sought shelter in a house that was subsequently struck, and that Israeli forces obstructed Red Cross rescuers, leaving Khalil under rubble for more than seven hours. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the incident as part of an alleged pattern of attacks on journalists and relief workers. The Israeli military said the journalists had been near vehicles linked to a Hezbollah military structure and posed an immediate threat, denied preventing rescue teams from reaching the area, and said the incident was under review.

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, who worked for Al-Akhbar, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Al-Tayri, southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials said she was targeted while sheltering after an initial strike, remained trapped under rubble for more than seven hours, and could not receive medical assistance because Israeli forces allegedly obstructed a Red Cross ambulance. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the incident as a war crime and part of a pattern of targeting journalists. Israel denied targeting journalists or blocking the rescue, saying it struck vehicles and a Hezbollah-used structure that posed an immediate threat; the military said the incident was under review.

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, announced by Donald Trump and expected to lead to talks between Benjamin Netanyahu and Joseph Aoun, is portrayed as fragile and already allegedly violated by Israel. The arrangement does not directly involve Hezbollah, which Israel wants disarmed but which Lebanon’s government is unlikely to be able to dismantle. Israel also intends to retain a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, preventing many displaced civilians from returning and raising fears of permanent territorial expansion. With more than a million Lebanese displaced and over 2,000 people killed, domestic Israeli opposition to a ceasefire and Netanyahu’s political incentives could further threaten the truce, while broader US-Israel-Iran negotiations remain crucial to regional stability.

Direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Washington, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, appear to have produced no concrete agreement or breakthrough. Israel insists that Hezbollah must be disarmed before it halts strikes, while Hezbollah demands an Israeli withdrawal and continues attacks. The conflict has caused extensive deaths and displacement, undermined Lebanon’s efforts to strengthen state control, and raised fears of civil war and wider regional escalation. The unresolved dispute is tied to broader divisions over Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and the future balance of power in the Middle East.

Iran has criticized what it regards as excessive US demands ahead of a second round of peace talks in Islamabad, intended to extend a fragile ceasefire after six weeks of conflict. The US delegation is led by Vice President J. D. Vance, while Iran is represented by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. The Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of disagreement, and international figures including Emmanuel Macron and Pope Leo have urged de-escalation and respect for the ceasefire, including in relation to Lebanon.

Donald Trump said Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon and criticized its handling of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. He indicated that the ceasefire depends on Iran reopening the waterway, while continued disruption to shipping suggests the agreement remains fragile. Trump is also reportedly considering withdrawing some US troops from Europe, citing NATO allies' limited efforts to secure the strait.

Intense Israeli strikes across Lebanon killed more than 250 people and injured over 1,000, threatening an already fragile US-Israel-Iran truce. The escalation has widened regional risks involving the Strait of Hormuz, energy supplies and neighboring Gulf states. Iran and Hezbollah say Lebanon was covered by the cessation of hostilities, while Israel rejects that interpretation and appears intent on continuing its campaign to demilitarize Hezbollah, potentially creating a buffer zone extending to the Litani River. The article argues that the offensive endangers Lebanese civilians, regional stability and the prospects for negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, missiles and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli strikes across Lebanon reportedly killed at least 254 people and injured 1,160, according to Lebanon’s civil defence. The attacks followed a US-Iran truce announced by Pakistan, which was initially thought to extend to Lebanon, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement did not apply there and pledged to continue operations against Hezbollah. Witnesses reported widespread destruction and overwhelmed hospitals, while UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the scale and timing of the attacks.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned of a “regret-inducing response” if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue, declaring that an attack on Hezbollah would constitute an attack on Iran. The warning follows extensive Israeli airstrikes that reportedly killed and injured hundreds and caused heavy damage in Beirut. Iran and Pakistan say a two-week Iran-US ceasefire also applies to Lebanon, but the United States and Israel dispute that interpretation.

Israel carried out its largest wave of strikes on Lebanon of the war, hitting around 100 targets in ten minutes across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities reported at least 254 people killed and more than 1,160 injured, while hospitals and rescue services struggled to cope and more than a million civilians have been displaced. The bombardment followed an announced two-week US-Iran ceasefire, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement did not cover Lebanon and ordered continued operations against Hezbollah. Israel said the strikes targeted Hezbollah and Iranian military infrastructure, while survivors, medics and the UN human rights chief described extensive civilian suffering and destruction, placing further pressure on the fragile regional truce.

Israel carried out its largest wave of strikes on Lebanon, hitting around 100 locations in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon within 10 minutes. Lebanese authorities reported dozens killed and hundreds injured, with hospitals overwhelmed and medical workers describing the devastation as an “absolute massacre.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the newly announced two-week US-Iran truce did not extend to Lebanon and that operations against Hezbollah would continue. Israel said it targeted Hezbollah and Iranian military infrastructure, while witnesses and medics reported extensive damage and civilian casualties in densely populated areas.

An Israeli missile strike destroyed an Islamic Health Authority medical centre in Burj Qalaouiyah, southern Lebanon, killing at least 12 doctors, paramedics and nurses. Two additional paramedics were reportedly killed at a nearby facility. The attacks occurred amid Israel’s expanding assault on Lebanon and Hezbollah, which has killed at least 850 people, injured 2,100 and displaced more than 800,000, according to Lebanese authorities. Israel says it may target ambulances and medical facilities allegedly used by Hezbollah for military purposes, but provided no evidence for that claim, which Hezbollah denies. Lebanese officials, aid workers and medical experts fear repeated attacks could cripple the country’s healthcare system and may amount to violations of international humanitarian law or war crimes.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright predicts that the war involving Iran will end within the next few weeks, possibly sooner, and says oil prices should fall once the conflict ends. His forecast contrasts with Israeli military planning for at least three more weeks of operations. President Donald Trump says the United States is not yet ready to agree to a ceasefire because the proposed terms are insufficient.

US President Donald Trump said he is not yet ready to agree to a ceasefire with Iran because he believes the proposed terms are insufficient. His comments came as Israel conducted wide-scale strikes on Iran, while the conflict entered its third week. Israel also ordered residents in parts of southern Lebanon and Beirut to evacuate, and Trump called for other countries to send warships to the region to help end the blockade.

Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon have killed more than 770 people, injured nearly 2,000 and displaced over 800,000, according to Lebanese authorities and aid agencies. In Tyre, families mourn relatives killed in strikes while hospitals struggle with overflowing intensive-care units, damaged facilities and dwindling supplies. The city is also sheltering roughly 10,000 displaced people despite being inside an evacuation zone. Israel is expanding its operations and threatening to seize Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah rejects negotiations under fire and vows to continue fighting. Local officials, medical workers and shelter volunteers warn that the humanitarian crisis is worsening and that the conflict may continue for an extended period.

Donald Trump called on the UK, China, Japan, France and South Korea to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is reportedly under the control of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He threatened continued US attacks on Iranian boats and ships, saying the strategic route must be made “open, safe, and free.”

Israel has intensified airstrikes on Beirut after Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks, while Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel could seize Lebanese territory if the attacks continue. The escalation has reportedly displaced more than 810,000 people and killed 630 people in Lebanon. The United Nations warned of potentially unprecedented and long-lasting regional consequences as the conflict expands alongside threats involving Iran, U.S. bases and nuclear weapons.

Israel intensified its bombing campaign in Beirut and southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched rockets and drones toward northern Israel. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened to expand operations and seize Lebanese territory if Lebanon could not restrain Hezbollah, while evacuation orders displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Strikes along Beirut’s waterfront killed at least 12 people and wounded 28, with civilians describing severe destruction and a lack of shelter. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for urgent talks, while the World Health Organization warned that continued escalation could produce long-lasting humanitarian and environmental consequences. The broader regional conflict also continued to involve Iran, the United States and attacks in the Gulf, contributing to rising oil prices and fears of further escalation.

The World Health Organization warns that the expanding US-Israeli conflict with Iran could spiral into a chemical, radiological, nuclear or biological catastrophe with long-term consequences for people and the environment. Oil-facility strikes have reportedly produced toxic smoke and “black rain,” while attacks across Iran, Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf have caused deaths, displacement and disruption to energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. In Lebanon, more than 800,000 people have reportedly been displaced, over 600 killed and five hospitals forced to close, leaving the health system short of medicines and emergency supplies. Lebanese officials and medical workers urge an end to attacks on civilians and healthcare facilities, but regional aid capacity is constrained because neighboring countries are also affected by the conflict.

Israeli airstrikes and evacuation orders in Beirut’s predominantly Shia Dahiyeh suburb and southern Lebanon have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom are sheltering in stadiums, schools, cars and on the streets. Displaced residents describe fleeing without medication, money or belongings, while Lebanese authorities and humanitarian agencies warn that resources are more limited than during previous conflicts. Although Donald Trump has suggested that the US and Israel’s bombardment of Iran may soon end, Lebanese families fear Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah will continue. Lebanon’s president has indicated openness to negotiations, but Israel says Hezbollah must disarm first, a demand complicated by the risk of civil conflict inside Lebanon.

Israel has threatened to kill Iran’s newly elected supreme leader and those who appointed the figure, whose identity remains undisclosed. The reported election follows the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli strike. As the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States enters its ninth day, Israel has conducted a major overnight assault on Tehran, targeting infrastructure and oil facilities, with residents reporting explosions and fires at refineries.

Donald Trump said Iran is being “beaten to hell,” demanded its unconditional surrender, and threatened further attacks and possible destruction of new targets. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected the surrender demand as a “dream,” apologised for attacks on regional countries, and promised Iran would stop them. The statements followed explosions and fires at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, which serves civilian and military aviation. Trump attributed Iran’s decision to halt strikes to the ongoing US and Israeli campaign.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected Donald Trump’s demand for Iran’s unconditional surrender, calling it an impossible dream. His statement followed explosions at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport, where footage reportedly showed a burning plane. Pezeshkian apologised for Iranian attacks on neighbouring countries and said Tehran would stop them, attributing the incidents to miscommunication. The report also describes Trump’s comments on US military performance and possible limited intervention, alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s warning of a major campaign targeting Iranian missile launchers and production facilities.

The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has created a succession crisis amid an expanding US-Israeli war. Mojtaba Khamenei is reportedly the leading succession candidate, while exiled monarchist Reza Pahlavi is presenting himself as a possible transitional leader, though he lacks clear support among Iran’s internal opposition groups. Experts warn that airstrikes alone cannot produce regime change in a country of more than 90 million people with a powerful Revolutionary Guard. Israel and the United States have yet to articulate a credible plan for the aftermath, while Iranian political figures such as Ali Larijani and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf may seek a pragmatic deal with Washington and abandon some of Khamenei’s ideological policies to preserve the state.

The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli attack has weakened Iran’s leadership but is unlikely by itself to produce regime change. Power may remain with the Supreme National Security Council and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while rival factions compete over succession. Iranian opposition groups fear that continued strikes could trigger intensified repression, ethnic massacres, chaos or civil war rather than a stable democratic transition. The uncertain response from Iran’s regional proxies also suggests that they may be weakened or unwilling to escalate.

A federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis has generated widespread fear among immigrant, Somali-American and even U.S.-born communities. Residents describe avoiding work, school and public spaces, while schools, churches and volunteer networks provide food, transportation and protection. Officials say the operation targets criminals and deny racial profiling, but witnesses and community leaders report aggressive raids, detentions, shootings and intimidation. Legal challenges have secured some releases and temporary protections, yet protests and anxiety continue across the city.

President Donald Trump said the Department of Homeland Security would not intervene in protests or riots in Democratic-led cities unless local authorities formally requested help, while federal officers would continue protecting federal property. More than 300 anti-ICE demonstrations were planned nationwide amid opposition to the administration’s mass-deportation campaign and the fatal shootings of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents. The coverage also reports on a federal judge declining Minnesota’s effort to block the deployment, congressional conflict over DHS funding, the detention of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, and the use of the Mobile Fortify facial-recognition system to support arrests. Officials’ claims that Good and Pretti were domestic terrorists remain unsupported by publicly presented evidence, while businesses including Jose Cuervo’s distributor say immigration fears are depressing sales.

Federal Judge Fred Biery ordered the release of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who were detained by immigration agents in suburban Minneapolis and transferred to Texas. Biery condemned the Trump administration’s deportation campaign, questioned the constitutional validity of executive-branch warrants, and invoked the Bible, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin in his order. The case has intensified criticism of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, where school officials report that children and families are afraid to attend school amid arrests and surveillance. Homeland Security disputes allegations that officers used Liam as bait and says they acted according to his father’s wishes, while the family’s attorney says they entered the United States legally and are pursuing asylum.

Journalist Georgia Fort was reportedly arrested by FBI agents at her home in connection with filming a January 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The demonstration opposed the Trump administration’s immigration policies and the presence of ICE agents, and followed the fatal shooting of local resident Renee Good. Fort said the arrest violated her First Amendment rights, while her family and colleagues described the case as an attack on journalism. Former CNN host Don Lemon and two other people were also arrested in connection with the protest. Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the arrests, while Lemon’s attorney and several journalism advocates said the defendants had been performing constitutionally protected work. Christian leaders condemned the church protest and called for stronger protections for places of worship.

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on federal charges of conspiracy and interfering with worshipers’ First Amendment rights over his reporting on an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lemon says he was observing and livestreaming the demonstration as a journalist rather than participating. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, condemned the prosecution as an attack on press freedom and accused the Trump Justice Department of diverting attention from other controversies. Independent journalist Georgia Fort and two other protesters, Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy, were also arrested. Journalists, family members and press advocates warned that prosecuting reporters for covering protests could establish a dangerous precedent.

A growing volunteer network in Minneapolis is tracking ICE and Border Patrol movements, warning immigrant families, documenting arrests and protecting children near schools. The effort intensified after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, which activists and residents say reflect an increasingly violent and politically motivated crackdown. The Trump administration has defended the operation, replaced Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino with border czar Tom Homan and warned protesters against interfering, while volunteers argue that the deployment is intended to intimidate Minneapolis and punish its history of racial-justice protests.

Newly obtained video shows federal agents wrestling Alex Pretti to the ground and deploying gas at protesters in Minneapolis on 13 January after he kicked a government SUV’s taillight. Witnesses described the agents as aggressive and said they used excessive force, while the agents left without making arrests. The incident occurred 11 days before Pretti was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents; subsequent video challenged government claims that he had brandished a gun, showing him holding a cellphone before the shooting. The killings of Pretti and Renee Good have fueled protests and demands for accountability, prompting the Trump administration to reassign Gregory Bovino, place Tom Homan in charge in Minneapolis and instruct ICE agents not to engage with protesters.

New footage shows federal agents tackling Alex Pretti and deploying gas during a January 13 confrontation in Minneapolis after he kicked a government vehicle. Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents 11 days later while intervening on behalf of female protesters. Video evidence later challenged officials’ claims that he attacked officers and brandished a gun, showing him holding a phone instead. Public anger over his death and another incident involving an ICE agent contributed to a change in federal tactics, with Minnesota agents subsequently ordered not to engage with protesters.

Donald Trump’s second year in office is expected to bring heightened risks across several theaters. His determination to control Greenland is straining NATO and raising doubts about the US security guarantee to Europe. In Ukraine, negotiations with Russia remain stalled over territory, while Trump’s apparent willingness to accommodate Vladimir Putin alarms Kyiv and European allies. In Latin America, military action against Venezuela and threats toward Colombia, Cuba and Mexico reflect a more assertive Donroe Doctrine aimed at countering China’s influence. Tensions are also rising around Taiwan as China expands military preparations, although Trump’s approach to Beijing remains ambiguous. In the Middle East, Trump has supported Israel against Iran, backed a Gaza truce and launched a broad “board of peace,” but his threats toward Iran leave open the possibility of further escalation.

Donald Trump and Jared Kushner have proposed a $30 billion plan to rebuild Gaza as a modern, investment-driven enclave, including new cities, resorts and industrial zones. Displaced Palestinians, a Palestinian politician and a senior UN official warn that the initiative is being advanced without Palestinian consent, could convert forced displacement and demolition into a real-estate opportunity, and may undermine the prospect of Palestinian statehood. The plan is linked to the next phase of a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire, but Israel’s continued military actions and the scale of destruction have heightened concerns about accountability, the treatment of victims’ remains and who will control Gaza.

Donald Trump’s newly launched Board of Peace, initially intended to oversee a post-war plan for Gaza, is presented as an ill-defined and potentially dangerous vehicle for concentrating international decision-making power in the US president’s hands. Its broad charter could allow it to encroach on the United Nations, while the inclusion of Russia and authoritarian governments and the absence of major Western allies raise serious questions about its legitimacy. Members appear motivated by access to Trump and leverage over US policy, particularly regarding Gaza, while the proposed $1 billion permanent membership fee and uncertain legal status add to the concerns. The initiative suggests that Trump’s second-term foreign policy is not isolationist but increasingly interventionist and expansionist.

Up to 60 people with connections to the UK, including 35 children, are reportedly held in Syrian prisons and camps amid escalating fighting. Campaigners, including Reprieve, warn that British children face mortal danger because the UK government has revoked citizenship from some detainees and refuses to repatriate them. Jack Letts, whose British citizenship was removed in 2019, is believed to be held in a Raqqa prison near the frontline. Reports of prison escapes and heavy gunfire around detention facilities have intensified fears for the safety of detainees, including women and children.

Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, initially intended to implement his Gaza plan, appears from leaked charter language and invitations to have ambitions far beyond the territory. The proposed body would establish a new international organization and transitional administration, with extensive powers for Trump as chair and possible involvement in conflicts including Ukraine and Venezuela. Critics fear it could become a rival to the United Nations, especially as Trump has attacked the UN, acted unilaterally on Gaza and challenged other postwar institutions. The proposed membership includes US officials, billionaires, Tony Blair and regional powers, but no Palestinians and only one Israeli, raising further questions about its legitimacy and purpose.

Nationwide protests driven by economic hardship and opposition to Iran’s clerical rule have triggered a violent crackdown, with reports of thousands killed and arrested. The regime retains control through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other security forces, but faces an unusually serious legitimacy and stability crisis. Possible outcomes include continued repression, a US military strike that could either embolden protesters or strengthen the regime, cosmetic reforms and negotiations, or—considered least likely—the return of exiled former crown prince Reza Pahlavi to oversee a democratic or federal transition. External intervention, ethnic divisions and uncertainty over public support make the consequences of any change highly unpredictable.