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Morning Brief: Trump and Senior Iranian Officials Trade Threats, Maduro Signals Willingness to Negotiate, Global Conflicts Kill Over 240,000 in 2025

BY Guy D. McCardle

Iran unrest, Swiss bar fire, global tensions shape the first days of 2026. Here’s your Friday morning brief for January 2nd, 2026.

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, December 29, 2025. Image Credit: White House

Welcome to Friday, January 2, 2026. The year opens with global flashpoints and hard pivots: Trump and Iran exchange warnings as protests spread, deadly floods hit Afghanistan, and violence pushes 2025’s global death toll to a staggering 240,000. A catastrophic Swiss bar fire kills dozens, Maduro signals openness to talks with the US, Kim Jong Un’s daughter stirs succession buzz, and Indonesia enforces a sweeping new penal code. Here’s your brief.

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Trump, Iran Trade Threats as Economic Protests Spread Across Iran

US President Donald Trump and senior Iranian officials exchanged sharp warnings on Friday as economic protests expanded across parts of Iran, deepening tensions following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.

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Trump said the United States stood ready to intervene if Iranian authorities violently suppressed demonstrators, after unrest linked to the collapse of Iran’s currency left at least seven people dead.

Iranian leaders, including Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani and Supreme Leader adviser Ali Shamkhani, warned that US intervention would destabilize the region and threaten American forces, accusing Washington and Israel of fueling the protests without providing evidence.

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The demonstrations, now in their sixth day, began over soaring prices and the weakening rial and have included chants against Iran’s ruling system.

The standoff involves US and Iranian leadership, centers on domestic unrest and regional security, and unfolds as Tehran signals limited openness to nuclear talks while warning against foreign interference.

 

Rain Drenches Rose Parade as Severe Weather Marks Start of 2026

Heavy rain soaked the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, on Thursday, marking the first rainy New Year’s Day parade in 20 years as severe weather affected much of the United States.

One to two inches of rain fell during the 137th parade, which began at 8 a.m. local time, prompting flood watches across California and evacuation warnings in areas still recovering from last year’s Los Angeles-area wildfires.

Despite the weather, marching bands, floats, and hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the nearly six-mile route, while millions watched on television.

Elsewhere, freezing temperatures chilled New York City’s New Year’s celebrations, and snow squalls and high winds swept across the Midwest and Northeast, disrupting air travel and delaying flights in cities including San Diego and Boston.

 

US Navy Ship Rescues Three Fishermen Adrift in South China Sea

A US Navy cargo ship rescued three Filipino fishermen from a disabled fishing vessel in the South China Sea over the New Year, according to the US 7th Fleet.

The dry cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE-14) spotted the fishermen after they spent four days adrift when heavy seas flooded their engine shortly after departing port on December 27. The crew recovered the men and conducted medical checks, finding them in good health.

The US military then coordinated with Philippine authorities to return the fishermen home.

The rescue occurred during the Cesar Chavez’s routine logistics mission in support of the US 7th Fleet, highlighting the ship’s role beyond resupply operations.

 

Maduro Signals Willingness to Negotiate With US as Drug Conflict Escalates

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said his government is open to negotiating with the United States on combating drug trafficking, even as tensions rise following US-led strikes targeting alleged cartel operations.

In a prerecorded interview aired Thursday on Venezuelan state television, Maduro said Venezuela is ready to discuss counter-narcotics cooperation and allow US investment in its oil sector, while accusing Washington of seeking regime change and control over Venezuela’s oil reserves.

The remarks followed a US military announcement of additional strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats and reports of a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-led drone strike on Venezuelan territory last week, which Maduro declined to address directly.

The dispute involves the Trump administration, Venezuelan authorities, and US intelligence agencies, unfolded over the past week and months of military pressure, and centers on drug trafficking enforcement, energy interests, and escalating security operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

 

Flash Floods Kill at Least 17 as Heavy Rains Hit Afghanistan

Heavy seasonal rains and snowfall triggered flash floods across several regions of Afghanistan this week, killing at least 17 people and injuring 11, according to the country’s National Disaster Management Authority.

The deaths occurred mainly since Monday in central, northern, southern, and western provinces, including Herat, where five members of one family died after a roof collapsed in Kabkan district. The floods damaged infrastructure, killed livestock, and affected about 1,800 families, disrupting daily life in already vulnerable communities.

Afghan authorities have deployed assessment teams to evaluate the damage and needs.

The disaster highlights Afghanistan’s vulnerability to extreme weather, compounded by decades of conflict, weak infrastructure, and climate change, as the country faces a deepening humanitarian crisis heading into 2026.

 

Global Conflicts Kill Over 240,000 in 2025 as Violence Spreads and Civilians Suffer

Deadly violence remained at historically high levels worldwide in 2025, killing more than 240,000 people as wars grew less restrained and civilians increasingly became targets, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) group.

The worst violence occurred in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, with Europe seeing the sharpest increase driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine, while the Middle East stayed highly volatile despite fragile ceasefires.

ACLED said multiple major wars unfolding at the same time have become the global norm, fueled by state and non-state actors operating with greater impunity.

Analysts cited shifting global power dynamics and a reduced US role in enforcing the international order as key drivers.

The violence unfolded across 2025, affected regions from Europe to the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean, and left civilians bearing the heaviest toll as conflicts spread into 2026.

 

Deadly New Year’s Bar Fire Kills Dozens at Swiss Alpine Resort

A fire tore through a crowded New Year’s celebration at a bar in the Swiss resort town of Crans-Montana shortly after midnight Thursday, killing about 40 people and injuring at least 115, police said.

The blaze erupted less than two hours into 2026 at the Le Constellation bar in Valais canton, overwhelming emergency services and prompting Switzerland to declare five days of mourning.

Authorities have not determined the cause, said the fire was not an attack, and confirmed no arrests as investigators work to identify victims and assess whether the venue exceeded capacity.

Many of the injured were seriously hurt, including at least 13 Italian citizens, with several others unaccounted for, prompting coordination with Italian officials.

The tragedy unfolded during peak ski season at one of Switzerland’s best-known resorts and left the local community devastated as hospitals reached capacity and rescue efforts continued.

 

Kim Jong Un’s Daughter Visits Regime Mausoleum, Fueling Succession Speculation

The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first known visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on New Year’s Day, a highly symbolic site that honors the country’s founding leaders, according to state media.

The appearance of Kim Ju Ae, believed to be about 13, alongside her parents at the mausoleum in Pyongyang has intensified speculation about her potential role as a future successor ahead of a planned Workers’ Party congress expected early this year.

Analysts say the visit serves as a political signal to bolster her status within the ruling family, though some experts argue she is too young for a senior post.

Since late 2022, Kim Ju Ae has appeared at military parades, missile launches, and diplomatic events, underscoring growing efforts by Kim Jong Un to publicly position her amid discussions about the regime’s long-term leadership.

 

Indonesia Enforces New Penal Code, Ending Dutch-Era Law

Indonesia on Friday began enforcing a new penal code that replaces a Dutch-era criminal law in place for more than 80 years, marking a major shift in the country’s legal system.

The 345-page code, known as the KUHP, took effect after a three-year transition period and introduces crimes such as sex outside marriage and insulting the president, while expanding blasphemy provisions and retaining the death penalty with a probation option. Lawmakers passed the code in 2022 after years of debate over balancing human rights, religious values, and local traditions in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.

The government says the law modernizes Indonesia’s legal framework and reflects national culture, while rights groups warn it threatens civil liberties and freedom of expression.

The changes affect all residents of Indonesia and signal a broader shift in sentencing toward alternatives to prison and greater judicial discretion.

 

Sources: News Agencies

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