“Protesters angry over Iran’s ailing economy conducted a sit-in Tuesday at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, witnesses said, with security forces ultimately firing tear gas and dispersing demonstrators as the rest of the market shut down. The protest at the Grand Bazaar, the beating heart for centuries of both Iran’s economic and political life, represented the latest signal that the demonstrations likely are to continue as the rial currency fell to a record low Tuesday. Already, violence surrounding the protests has killed at least 36 people with authorities detaining more than 2,000 others, activists abroad say. Meanwhile, the situation was likely to worsen as Iran’s Central Bank drastically reduced the subsidized exchange rates for dollars it offers to importers and producers.” (01/07/26)
“Stock indexes gained momentum in the final hours of trading Tuesday as both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 closed at new highs. … The Dow ended the day 1% higher, or nearly 485 points, and closed at a record high for a second session in a row. In addition, the blue-chip index, which gained 1.2% on Monday, closed Tuesday above 49,000 for the first time ever. … Meanwhile, the S&P 500 closed 0.6% higher, also a record. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.7%.” (01/06/26)
“Ukraine’s allies agreed on Tuesday to provide key aspects of postwar security for the country in the event of a cease-fire with Russia, including a declaration by the leaders of France and Britain that they would commit troops to dissuadeRussia from invading again. President Emmanuel Macron of France and Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain signed an agreement with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at a meeting in Paris of more than 30 European leaders and other members of the so-called Coalition of the Willing. The countries in it have committed to strengthening Ukraine’s security. In addition to the troop commitment, the agreement also said that the United States would lead an effort to monitor any eventual cease-fire, and that a special commission would be created to ‘address any breaches, attribute responsibility and determine remedies.'” (01/06/25)
“China has unveiled new export controls on Japan amid elevated tensions over Taiwan, prompting a rebuke by Tokyo. China’s Ministry of Commerce said it had banned so-called dual-use items, with military applications, in light of Japan’s ‘erroneous’ and ‘egregious’ statements about the self-governing island, which Beijing [pretends is] its territory. … China and Japan have long been at odds over historical and territorial issues, but relations deteriorated sharply after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested late last year that Tokyo could intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan.” (01/07/26)
“Federal immigration agents are ‘surging’ into Minnesota, officials said, amid a deepening fraud scandal that’s enveloped state and national politics. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons described the deployment in an interview on Newsmax as ‘the largest immigration operation ever.’ He did not say how many agents the deployment would involve or how long it was expected to last. … The Twin Cities region is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with about 84,000 residents living in the area, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The majority of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens who were either born in the country or became citizens through the naturalization process.” (01/06/26)
“The Wyoming Supreme Court in a 4-1 majority ruled Tuesday that Wyoming’s abortion bans are unconstitutional, under the state Constitution’s promise of health care autonomy. The decision doesn’t defer to an earlier decision by Teton County District Court Judge Melissa Owens, but charts its own course through the constitutional amendment to arrive at the same ultimate result. … The ruling concludes four years of legal challenges that have fraught Wyoming since its 2022 abortion ban ‘triggered’ into place with the overturn of the federal abortion right under Roe vs. Wade. One sequel to that law and other abortion bans and restrictions have followed.” (01/06/26)
“Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy humanoid robots at its U.S. manufacturing plant in Georgia starting in 2028, marking a step toward automating higher-risk and repetitive manufacturing tasks, the South Korean company said. Hyundai unveiled the production version of the Atlas humanoid robot, developed by its unit Boston Dynamics, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The company did not disclose the volume or cost of the robots, but said in a statement it aims to roll out adoption across all of its manufacturing sites as part of a push into ‘physical AI.'” (01/06/26)
“Lego has unveiled Smart Bricks – tech-filled versions of its small building blocks – which it says will bring sets to life with sound, light and reaction to movement. However, the new product range is causing unease among play experts, who say it risks undermining what makes Lego special for children in an increasingly digital world. Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas, the Danish toymaker’s Smart Play system introduces new electronic components to the classic plastic blocks. Lego says its new tech-enabled products, launching in March with a new Star Wars set, are its most revolutionary innovation’ in nearly 50 years. But Josh Golin, executive director of children’s wellbeing group Fairplay, believes Smart Bricks ‘undermine what was once great about Legos’ – harnessing children’s own imagination during play.” (01/06/25)
“Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday closed out the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year by denouncing today’s consumerist and anti-foreigner sentiment, capping a Jubilee that saw some 33 million pilgrims flock to Rome and a historic transition to the first American pontiff. With cardinals and diplomats looking on, Leo kneeled down in prayer on the stone floor at the threshold of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica. He then stood up and pulled the two doors shut, symbolically concluding the rarest of Jubilees: one that was opened by a feeble Pope Francis in December 2024, continued during his funeral and the conclave, and then was closed by Francis’[s] successor a year later. Only once before, in 1700, has a Holy Year been opened by one pope and closed by another.” (01/06/26)
“Venezuela’s main opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has vowed to return home quickly, praising U.S. President Donald Trump for toppling her enemy Nicolas Maduro and declaring her movement ready to win a free election. Trump appears, however, to hope for now to work with interim President Delcy Rodriguez and other senior officials from Maduro’s government, disappointing the opposition and contributing to nervousness in Venezuela. ‘I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible,’ said Machado, 58, who escaped from Venezuela in disguise in October to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to Trump. ‘We believe that this transition should move forward,’ she told Fox News’ ‘Hannity’ program.” (01/06/25)
