Good morning.
Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has reached out and proposed negotiations, as he considers “very strong” military action against the regime over a deadly crackdown on protesters that has reportedly killed hundreds.
Asked on Sunday by reporters onboard Air Force One if Iran had crossed his previously stated red line of protesters being killed, Trump said: “They’re starting to, it looks like.”
“We’re looking at it very seriously,” the US president said. “The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination.”
At least 538 people have been killed in the violence surrounding demonstrations, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, including 490 protesters. The group reported more than 10,600 people were arrested by Iranian authorities.
What’s happening in Iran? The protest movement in Iran is the most significant unrest it has experienced in years. Though triggered initially by a sudden slide in the country’s currency, protesters soon demanded political reform and called for the downfall of the government.
How has Iran responded to Trump’s comments? The Iranian parliamentary speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, warned Washington against “a miscalculation”, saying Israel and US interests in the Middle East would be “legitimate targets”.
Justice department opens investigation into Jerome Powell as Trump ramps up campaign against Federal Reserve
The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve, a significant escalation in Donald Trump’s extraordinary attack on the US central bank.
Powell said the Department of Justice had served the Fed with grand jury subpoenas on Friday, threatening a criminal indictment related to his testimony before the Senate banking committee in June last year, regarding renovations to the Fed’s historic office buildings in Washington DC.
The US attorney’s office in the District of Columbia has opened a criminal investigation into Powell over the project, and whether Powell lied to Congress about its scope, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
How has Powell responded? In a blistering statement yesterday, Powell argued he had been threatened with criminal charges because the Fed had set interest rates “based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president”.
One Battle After Another and Adolescence dominate 83rd Golden Globes
One Battle After Another and Adolescence have led this year’s Golden Globes with four wins apiece.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s counterculture epic took home best comedy or musical film. It also earned him best director and screenplay, marking his first-ever Golden Globe wins.
“I love doing what I do so this is just fun,” Anderson said in his second speech. Teyana Taylor was also named best female supporting actor for her role in the film, beating out Amy Madigan and Ariana Grande. In a tearful speech, she devoted her award “to my brown sisters and little brown girls watching tonight”, adding: “We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter and our dreams deserve space.”
Smash hit Netflix drama Adolescence continued its awards sweep picking up four Globes, including best limited series.
What were the most controversial snubs? The biggest backlash brewing concerns Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, lauded by critics and embraced – especially in the US – by audiences as one of 2025’s key cultural landmarks. Meanwhile, Wicked: For Good was also snubbed.
In other news …
Trump has repeated overnight that the US would take Greenland “one way or the other”, as he mocked its defence as “two dog sleds,” and stressed that otherwise Russia and China would move to claim the territory.
Mark Carney is heading to Beijing as Trump’s America First agenda forces Canada into a trade rethink, with the PM seeking to smooth over past ructions in the relationship with China.
Trump has said he might block ExxonMobil from investing in Venezuela after the oil company’s chief executive called the country “uninvestable” during a White House meeting last week.
Content creators and influencers in the US are now increasingly dominating requests for O-1 work visas, including the O-1A for individuals with “extraordinary ability” in the sciences, education, business or athletics.
Stat of the day: World’s richest 1% have already used fair share of emissions for 2026, says Oxfam
The world’s richest 1% have used up their fair share of carbon emissions just 10 days into 2026, analysis has found. Meanwhile, the richest 0.1% took just three days to exhaust their annual carbon budget, according to the research by Oxfam.
Building power: How independent journalism is a form of resistance – ‘I’m not answering to anyone’
When Donald Trump returned to office last January, newsrooms braced for a familiar climate of fear, marked by his history of attacking media outlets. While this created turbulence for traditional media, it opened space for independent reporters such as Marisa Kabas. Her newsletter, Handbasket, is among a growing number of small outlets winning trust and breaking stories as mainstream organisations fear censorship or litigation.
Don’t miss this: ‘Add blood, forced smile’ – how Grok’s nudification tool went viral
The “put her in a bikini” trend exploded at the start of 2026. Within days, hundreds of thousands of requests were being made to the Grok chatbot, asking it to strip the clothes from photographs of women. The demands became increasingly explicit. This unprecedented mainstreaming of nudification technology triggered instant outrage, but it was days before regulators and politicians woke up to the scale of the proliferating scandal.
Or this: The friendship secret – why socialising could help you live longer
The neuroscientist Ben Rein is on a mission to show that being around others not only feels good, but can even improve recovery from strokes, cancer and heart attacks. We’re waking up, belatedly, to the fact that we’re living in what Rein himself calls a “post-interaction world”. The recent fetishisation of Jomo (the joy of missing out) and the Covid-fuelled push towards introversion means we’re more isolated than ever, which he says is bad news for our health.
Last Thing: Mattel launches its first autistic Barbie
With an animated Barbie film in development, following the success of Greta Gerwig’s 2023 blockbuster movie, Mattel Studios will certainly have a diverse range of characters to bring to life. Today, Mattel launches its first autistic Barbie. Among other characteristics, the doll wears a fidget spinner on her finger to reduce stress and noise-cancelling headphones to reduce sensory overload.
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