Trump Announces U.S. Naval Armada Moving Toward Middle East Amid Deadly Iran Protests

President Donald Trump has once again threatened military action against Iran’s top leadership amid a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests. On Thursday, he revealed that a U.S. naval flotilla is being deployed to the Middle East. “We have a big flotilla going in that direction and we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from Davos, Switzerland. “I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.” The warning follows a previous incident in which Trump had stepped back from plans to strike Iran, citing assurances that the country would not proceed with planned executions of hundreds of protesters. Tehran has warned the U.S. and Israel—whose forces carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities last year—against any interference in the unrest. Contrary to earlier claims that executions had been halted, human-rights organizations report a rising death toll. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency has confirmed 5,002 deaths since the protests began in late December, with nearly 10,000 more cases under review and over 26,000 arrests recorded. Mai Sato, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said the civilian death toll could reach 20,000, according to reports from doctors in the country, though the number has not been officially verified by the UN. The protests, the largest challenge to Iran’s ruling regime in decades, began in Tehran after a currency collapse and quickly spread nationwide, with demonstrators calling for an end to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s leadership. The situation continues to draw global attention as governments and rights groups monitor the escalating violence.

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Trump Launches Board of Peace at Davos

Former President Donald Trump returned to Davos on Thursday to officially launch his Gaza Board of Peace, alongside the board’s newly announced members, most of whom come from the Middle East and South America. Trump described the board as “one of the most consequential bodies ever created” and said he was honored to serve as its chairman. Notably absent from the stage were leaders from Western Europe. The U.K. had expressed concerns over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s potential involvement, and while Putin received an invitation, he is reportedly still considering participation. Earlier this week, Trump drew attention by suggesting the board “might” replace the United Nations, though he later clarified that it would work alongside the UN. He said: “We’ll work with many others, including the U.N.” The UN had adopted the U.S.-sponsored resolution establishing the board in November. On Gaza, Trump said the Israel-Hamas war is “really coming to an end” but warned Hamas to disarm, describing its members as “people born with rifles in their hands.” He added: “They have to give up their weapons, and if they don’t do that, it’s going to be the end of them,” and called for the release of the final deceased Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili. Trump also highlighted Gaza’s strategic location, saying: “People that are living so poorly are going to be so well, but it all began with the location.” The Board of Peace follows last week’s launch of Phase Two of the Gaza ceasefire plan by Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, focusing on “demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.” Phase One faced challenges due to Hamas not handing over the final deceased hostage and Israeli airstrikes in October. The board will oversee the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, which will manage day-to-day reconstruction efforts. During his speech, Trump also highlighted his international achievements, praising the “unrivalled skill set of the U.S. Military,” referencing last year’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and lauding his recent Venezuela operation that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Regarding the board members, Trump called them “great people, great leaders,” saying the organization is already “running beautifully.” Board of Peace Members: Argentina: President Javier Milei Armenia: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Azerbaijan: President Ilham Aliyev Bahrain: Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa Bulgaria: Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov (caretaker) Hungary: Prime Minister Viktor Orban Indonesia: President Prabowo Subianto Jordan: Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi Kazakhstan: President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev Kosovo: President Vjosa Osmani Mongolia: Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar Morocco: Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita Pakistan: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Paraguay: President Santiago Pena Qatar: Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani Saudi Arabia: Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al‑Saud Turkey: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan United Arab Emirates: Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority Khaldoon Al Mubarak Uzbekistan: President Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev The board is tasked with overseeing Gaza’s reconstruction while coordinating with international partners to ensure the territory’s stability and development.

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Trump Reaches Greenland Deal Framework, Cancels Tariffs On European Allies

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday disclosed that a framework had been established for a future agreement on Greenland following talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, a decision that also led to the cancellation of planned tariffs on European allies. Announcing the development on Truth Social, Trump said, “We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.” Although he did not outline the details of the framework, the president said European countries that opposed his bid to acquire Greenland would no longer face tariffs that had been scheduled to begin on February 1. “Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st,” he wrote. Trump’s renewed push to gain control of Greenland from Denmark, a fellow NATO member, has in recent weeks unsettled diplomatic ties and triggered volatility in global markets. Earlier in the day at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump ruled out the use of force for the first time but pressed for immediate talks with Denmark. “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable, but I won’t do that,” he said. “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.” Following his remarks and subsequent social media post, Wall Street stocks opened higher on Wednesday and extended their gains. Trump has consistently argued that mineral-rich Greenland holds major strategic importance for both the United States and NATO, particularly amid growing competition with Russia and China in the Arctic region.

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European Parliament Blocks US-EU Trade Deal Amid Trump’s Greenland Threats

The European Parliament on Wednesday blocked a vote to approve a US-EU trade deal as tensions rose over President Donald Trump’s threats to take over Greenland and the imposition of a 10% import tax on countries opposing his plans. “EU-US Deal on ice indefinitely! Our sovereignty & territorial integrity are at stake. Business as usual impossible,” Bernd Lange, chairman of the European Parliament’s international trade committee, said on social media. The agreement, known as the Turnberry Deal, was initially negotiated in July when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Trump’s golf club in Turnberry, Scotland. It outlined preliminary terms on tariffs, trade, and investment between the United States and the 27-nation European Union. In a statement, the European Parliament said the vote was halted due to “continued and escalating threats, including tariff threats, against Greenland and Denmark, and their European allies.” Work on the Turnberry legislative proposals will remain suspended until the US returns to a cooperative approach rather than confrontation. The Turnberry Deal had capped European tariffs at 15%, protecting key sectors such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductors from Trump’s threat of much higher tariffs. The agreement also included EU commitments to invest $600 billion in the US by 2028, purchase $750 billion in American energy, procure $40 billion in semiconductors, and increase military equipment acquisitions. “This Framework Agreement will put our trade and investment relationship — one of the largest in the world — on a solid footing and will reinvigorate our economies’ reindustrialization,” the EU said in a joint statement.

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Trump Warns Iran of Complete Destruction Over Alleged Assassination Threats

United States President Donald Trump has warned Iran that any attempt on his life by Tehran’s leaders would be met with massive retaliation. Speaking on NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich Tonight on Tuesday, Trump said the country would face total destruction if an attack were carried out against him. “Well, they shouldn’t be doing it but I’ve left notification, if anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up,” he said. Trump revealed that Biden-era intelligence officials had briefed him on the alleged threats during his 2024 presidential campaign. Former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland had earlier said the plot was linked to retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. The president criticised former President Joe Biden for not addressing the threat publicly, saying, “Presidents should defend each other on such issues.” Trump added, “But I have very firm instructions. Anything happens they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.” He previously issued similar warnings after signing an executive order granting him broad authority to engage with Iran and apply maximum pressure. “If they do that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions, if they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left,” Trump said at the time. The president also cautioned that military action remains an option following weeks of anti-government protests in Iran, which reportedly resulted in more than 3,300 deaths in clashes with security forces. He noted, however, that he had recently been informed the killings had stopped.

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18 Killed as Wildfires Sweep Through Southern Chile, Forcing 50,000 Evacuations

Chilean President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of catastrophe in the southern regions of Ñuble and Biobío after raging wildfires killed at least 18 people and forced more than 50,000 to flee their homes. According to Chile’s forestry agency CONAF, firefighters were tackling 24 active fires across the country as of Sunday morning, with the largest and most destructive blazes in Ñuble and Biobío, located about 500 km (310 miles) south of the capital, Santiago. “In light of the serious ongoing wildfires, I have decided to declare a state of catastrophe in the regions of Ñuble and Biobío. All resources are available,” Boric said in a post on X. The fires have destroyed nearly 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres) and threatened multiple communities, prompting authorities to order mass evacuations. Officials say high temperatures and strong winds have fueled the fires, making them difficult to control. Much of Chile remains under extreme heat alerts, with temperatures expected to reach 38°C (100°F) from Santiago to Biobío over the weekend. South-central Chile has faced increasingly severe wildfires in recent years, with climate change blamed for extreme weather, droughts, and floods. In February 2024, simultaneous fires near Viña del Mar, northwest of Santiago, claimed 138 lives, according to the public prosecutor’s office.

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Italian Fashion Legend Valentino Garavani Dies At 93, Leaving Timeless Legacy

Italian fashion legend Valentino Garavani, famed for his elegant gowns and signature “Valentino red,” has died at 93. The Valentino Foundation confirmed on Monday that he passed away peacefully at his Rome home, surrounded by family. A lying-in-state will be held on Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22, at PM23, Piazza Mignanelli 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with the funeral scheduled for Friday, January 23, at 11:00 a.m. at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, Piazza della Repubblica 8, Rome. Born in 1932 in Voghera, northern Italy, Valentino honed his craft in Parisian haute couture before founding his Rome-based fashion house in 1959. Early in his career, he became renowned for his rich scarlet evening gowns, which came to be known as “Valentino red.” In 1960, he met Giancarlo Giammetti, his long-time business and romantic partner, who helped transform Valentino SpA into a global luxury brand. His early clients included Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Joan Collins, and Queen Paola of Belgium, cementing his reputation among the world’s elite. Valentino’s creations became red-carpet staples, gracing stars like Jane Fonda, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, Cate Blanchett, and Anne Hathaway at the Academy Awards. His influence continued through the decades, with modern icons such as Zendaya, Carey Mulligan, and Gemma Chan wearing his designs, highlighting the brand’s enduring global appeal. Valentino’s legacy remains as one of the most influential figures in fashion, celebrated for his timeless elegance, meticulous craftsmanship, and ability to define glamour across generations.

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