Source: US News & World Report

“Uganda’s government has ordered two local ‌rights ​groups to halt their work ‌days before Thursday’s election, which the United Nations Human Rights Office ​says is taking place in an atmosphere of repression and intimidation. The authorities have detained hundreds of opposition supporters, ‍the UN agency had said ​in a report in November, ahead of the January 15 election in which President Yoweri Museveni, ​81, is ⁠looking to extend his four-decade rule. Museveni, who came to power in 1986 after leading a five-year rebellion, is Africa’s third-longest ruling head of state. He has changed the constitution twice to remove age and term limits, and his dominance of Ugandan institutions means there is little prospect of ‌an election upset in the East African country of 46 million, political analysts say.” (01/13/26)

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-01-13/uganda-orders-two-rights-groups-to-halt-work-days-before-election

Source: SFGate

“Federal officers dropped tear gas and sprayed eye irritant at activists in Minneapolis on Tuesday as students walked out of a suburban school in protest at the Trump administration’s bold immigration sweeps. The government crackdown is next headed to a federal court where Minnesota and two mayors are asking a judge to immediately suspend the operation. No hearing has been set on the request. Gas clouds filled a Minneapolis street near where Renee Good was [murdered] by an immigration agent last week. A man scrubbed his eyes with snow and screamed for help as agents in an unmarked Jeep sprayed an orange irritant and drove away. It’s common for people to boo, taunt and blow orange whistles when they spot heavily armed agents passing through in unmarked vehicles or walking the streets. ‘Who doesn’t have a whistle?’ a man with a bag of them yelled.” (01/13/25)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/tensions-flare-in-minnesota-as-protesters-and-21291914.php

Source: Time

“As Donald Trump mulls whether or not the U.S. will intervene militarily in Iran in response to the deadliest anti-regime protests and riots there in years, the President is happy to employ one of his ‘favorite’ words to put pressure on Tehran: tariffs. ‘Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,’ Trump posted on Truth Social Monday night. ‘This Order is final and conclusive.’ It’s unclear what the President meant by ‘doing business,’ and which countries the latest policy actually covers. The White House has not yet published any information about the new tariff policy or what legal authority it relies on, nor did the White House immediately respond to TIME’s request for clarification.” (01/13/26)

https://time.com/7345774/trump-iran-tariffs-trade-china-india-uae-turkiye-brazil/

Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]

“Iranians were finally able to call the outside world on Tuesday morning, over four and a half days after Iran’s clerical regime imposed a communications blackout to suppress growing anti-government protests. People were able to make international phone calls on their mobile phones for the first time since Friday. But people from outside Iran were unable to make calls into the country. The internet and text messaging were also still blocked. The blackout has been in effect for over 108 hours, according to monitor Netblocks. The communications blackout was imposed as Iranian authorities began a violent crackdown to suppress the uprising sweeping the nation. Over 648 people have been killed, Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said Monday.” (01/13/26)

https://www.dw.com/en/iran-international-calls-resume-but-internet-still-cut/live-75483027