Iran’s streets erupted into widespread unrest in early January 2026, as economic despair fueled protests demanding the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Sparked by a merchant shutdown at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on December 28, 2025, demonstrations spread to over 110 cities, with crowds chanting “Death to Khamenei,” “Long live the Shah,” and “This

Thailand and Cambodia’s fragile truce faces fresh scrutiny after a mortar strike wounded a Thai soldier near their disputed border on January 6, 2026. The incident in Ubon Ratchathani province has reignited fears of renewed clashes in a conflict rooted in colonial-era territorial disputes. Cambodian officials dismissed it as an “operational error,” while Thailand warns

As deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro fights narcoterrorism charges in a Manhattan courtroom, all eyes are on the man overseeing the historic trial: Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a 92‑year‑old US federal judge whose long career is defined by independence, high‑stakes rulings, and a refusal to bend to political pressure. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, recently