Early Edition: January 13, 2026

A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

IRAN 

About 2,000 people have been killed in protests in Iran, an Iranian official told Reuters today. The Iranian official said that “terrorists” were behind the deaths of both protesters and security personnel. The official did not give a breakdown of who had been killed. U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency said last night that 10,721 people had been arrested and that they have identified by name hundreds of those killed in the anti-government protests. Elwely Elwelly reports.

Iran today eased some restrictions on the population, allowing them to make phone calls abroad via their mobile phones, according to sources in Tehran. However, it did not ease restrictions on the internet or allow texting services to be restored. AP News reports.

Some Iranians are still using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service despite a nationwide communications blackout, three people in Iran told Reuters yesterday. Supantha Mukherjee, Cassell Bryan-Low and Parisa Hafezi report.

President Trump is exploring options for diplomacy with Iran, even as he weighs whether to attack the country to respond to ongoing violence against the anti-government protestors, U.S. officials said yesterday. The Pentagon is presenting a wider range of strike options to Trump than previously reported, including targets such as Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile sites, an official said. However, narrower options such as a cyberattack or a strike against Iran’s domestic security apparatus remain more likely, adding that any attack is at least several days away. Trump is expected to discuss options in a meeting with his top national security team today. Edward Wong, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Trump said yesterday that countries doing business with Iran could be subjected to a 25 per cent tariff on trade with the United States, effective immediately. According to Trade Data Monitor, China, Turkey, Pakistan, and India were among Iran’s largest trading partners. James Politi and Peter Wells report for the Financial Times

U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS

The Pentagon used a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane in its first attack on a boat that the Trump administration alleged was smuggling drugs, killing 11 people last September, according to officials. The U.S. military has since switched to using recognizably military aircraft for boat strikes, including M-9 drones. Charlie Savage, Eric Schmitt, John Ismay, Julian E. Barnes, Riley Mellen, and Christiaan Triebert report for the New York Times.

Trump will meet with Venezuelan opposition activist María Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday, according to administration officials. Vera Bergengruen and Kejal Vyas report for the Wall Street Journal.  

Venezuela’s government said yesterday that 116 prisoners had been released so far, while opposition and rights groups have reported much lower numbers. Unidad Venezuela, a group of opposition parties, said just 65 people had been freed so far. Legal advocacy group Foro Penal had a count of 49. The Venezuelan Penitentiary Services Ministry said those being freed had been involved in “acts associated with disrupting the constitutional order and undermining the stability of the nation.” Reuters reports.

Two China-flagged supertankers that were sailing to Venezuela to collect oil for debt repayment turned back toward Asia, LSEG shipping data showed yesterday. The very large crude carriers Xingye and Thousand Sunny, which have not been the subject of sanctions, had remained anchored in the Atlantic Ocean for weeks, waiting for directions amid the U.S. blockade and Venezuela’s political crisis. Marianna Parrago reports for Reuters.  

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Russia launched a second major drone and missile bombardment of Ukraine in four days, killing four people and injuring several others, officials said today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media that Russia fired almost 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles, and seven cruise missiles at eight regions overnight. U.S. deputy ambassador to the U.N., Tammy Bruce, yesterday accused Russia of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of the war, pointing toward Russia’s launch of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile last week and the “staggering number of casualties.” Illia Novikov reports for AP News; Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – CEASEFIRE

Israel has demolished more than 2,500 buildings in Gaza since the ceasefire began in October, according to a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery from Planet Labs. Most of the demolitions have been in the Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza, but dozens of buildings have also been destroyed beyond the yellow line in areas effectively under Hamas control. Samuel Granados, Adam Rasgon, Iyad Abuheweila, and Sanjana Varghese report for the New York Times.

An Israeli drone strike yesterday killed three Palestinians who crossed the ceasefire line near central Gaza’s Morag corridor, hospital officials said. Israel’s military said the three approached troops and posed an immediate threat. Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy report for AP News.

An Israeli-backed Palestinian militia said yesterday that it had killed a senior Hamas police officer in southern Gaza. Hamas said gunmen opened fire from a passing car, killing Mahmoud Al-Astal, and described the attackers as “collaborators with the occupation.” Reuters could not independently verify the circumstances of the attack. An Israeli military official said the army was not aware of any operations in the area. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.

TECH DEVELOPMENTS 

Ofcom, the U.K.’s media regulator, yesterday launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X over concerns its Grok AI chatbot was creating sexually intimate deepfake images in violation of its duty to protect people in the United Kingdom from illegal content. Paul Sandle and Sam Tabahriti report for Reuters.

U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The EU can help provide security for Greenland, should Denmark request it, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said yesterday, warning that a U.S. military takeover would be the end of NATO. Kubilius said he did not think a U.S. military invasion was coming but that the European Union Treaty Article 42.7 obliged member states to come to Denmark’s assistance if it was faced with military aggression. Johan Ahlander reports for Reuters.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said yesterday that NATO members are discussing the next steps to keep the Arctic safe. “All allies agree on the importance of the Arctic and Arctic security,” Rutte told reporters in Croatia. “With sea lanes opening up, there is a risk that the Russians and the Chinese will be more active.” Reuters reports.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum yesterday said that she had “a very good conversation” with Trump and that their governments will continue working together on security issues without the need for U.S. intervention against drug cartels. “[Trump] asked me my opinion about what they had done in Venezuela and I told him very clearly that our constitution is very clear, that we do not agree with interventions and that was it,” Sheinbaum said. Trump “still insisted that if we ask for it, they could help” with military forces, which Sheinbaum said she again rejected. AP News reports.

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS

The State Department said yesterday that it has revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump took office last year, setting what it said was a new record. Daphne Psaledakis reports for Reuters.

The Trump administration is sending roughly 1,000 Customs and Border Protection officers to Minnesota to join the 2,000 other officers and agents at the Homeland Security Department already deployed, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said yesterday. Hamed Aleaziz and Madeleine Ngo report for the New York Times.

At least four leaders of a Justice Department unit that investigates police killings have resigned in protest over the Trump administration’s handling of the fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week, according to three sources. The resignations came after Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon decided not to investigate the incident, despite the fact that the criminal section of the division would normally investigate any fatal shooting by a law enforcement officer, the sources said. Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian report for MS NOW.

Federal investigators assigned to the fatal ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good are looking into her possible connection to activist groups protesting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices, according to sources. The sources added that it seems increasingly unlikely that the agent who fired three times at the unarmed woman will face criminal charges. Alan Feuer, Glenn Thrush, and Devlin Barrett report for the New York Times.

The Justice Department announced yesterday that the man shot by a Customs and Border Patrol agent in East Portland last week was charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer. Kale Williams reports for Axios.

New Jersey lawmakers yesterday sent pro-immigrant bills to Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ), including legislation that would limit state and local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. This is similar to the Murphy administration’s Immigrant Trust Directive, making it unclear whether Murphy will sign it: “The directive has worked,” Murphy told POLITICO yesterday. “It’s worked, including with Trump-appointed judges. So I do start — without commenting on where we will end up — I do start in a place where, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’” Daniel Han reports for POLITICO.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

The Justice Department has fired career prosecutor Robert McBride after he declined to lead the prosecution of former FBI Director James B. Comey, according to multiple sources. McBride was brought into the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia to serve as first assistant to U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, taking a more prominent role after her status came into question last year. McBride told top DOJ officials that he felt it would be difficult to run the Comey case and also run the office, the sources said. Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian report for MS NOW.

Former special counsel Jack Smith will give public testimony before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Jan. 22, according to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chair of the panel. Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil report for Reuters.

Former U.S. Navy sailor Jinchao Wei was sentenced yesterday to nearly 17 years in prison after he was convicted of spying for China and using his security clearance to sell secrets about the capabilities of U.S. warships. Neil Vigdor reports for the New York Times.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS 

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly complained to his aides about Attorney General Pam Bondi, describing her as a weak and ineffective enforcer of his agenda, administration officials and other sources said. Some officials said that the criticisms appear to be part of an intense campaign by Trump to pressure the Justice Department to pursue his policies more aggressively. Trump’s chief grievance is what he sees as Bondi’s failure to prosecute Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, the sources said. Josh Dawsey, Sadie Gurman, and C. Ryan Barber report for the Wall Street Journal.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Trump late Sunday that the federal investigation into the Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell “made a mess” and could be bad for financial markets, two sources told Axios. “The secretary isn’t happy, and he let the president know,” one source said. The sources added that the U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office in D.C. launched the probe without giving a heads up to the Treasury, top White House officials, or the main Justice Department. Trump “didn’t tell Pirro to do it. But I can’t say he’s going to tell her to withdraw it,” one of the sources said. “The president is angry with Powell. What can I say?” Marc Caputo reports.

The Defense Department has spent over a year testing a device purchased in an undercover operation that some investigators think could be linked to Havana Syndrome, a series of unexplained illnesses affecting U.S. spies, diplomats, and troops, according to four sources. Havana Syndrome first emerged in 2016 among U.S. diplomats in Cuba and has since been reported worldwide, with symptoms resembling head trauma such as vertigo, headaches and cognitive issues. The device, acquired by Homeland Security Investigations, emits pulsed radio waves, contains some Russian components, and is small enough to fit in a backpack, a source said. The device is still being studied and there is ongoing debate over its link to the dozens of anomalous health incidents. Katie Bo Lillis, Natasha Bertrand, Priscilla Alvarez, Jim Sciutto, and Zachary Cohen report for CNN.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION 

A federal judge yesterday issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration, allowing the Revolution Wind project to resume construction off Rhode Island’s coast. Revolution Wind has “demonstrated likelihood of success on the merits of its underlying claims” and is “likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of an injunction,” the judge said. Ben Geman reports for Axios.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) yesterday filed a lawsuit against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming that Pentagon proceedings to demote Kelly from his retired Navy captain rank violated his free speech rights because he urged U.S. service members to reject unlawful orders. Mike Sarcelle reports for Reuters.

The State of Minnesota and the State of Illinois yesterday filed separate lawsuits against the Trump administration, alleging that the administration is carrying out coercive immigration enforcement campaigns culminating in militarized and unlawful deployments of federal immigration enforcement agents. Illinois asked a judge to block U.S. Customs and Border Protection “from conducting civil immigration enforcement” in the state without “express congressional authorization.” The Minnesota lawsuit asked a judge to block the federal government from “implementing the unprecedented surge in Minnesota.” Mitch Smith reports for the New York Times.