Iran protests latest: Trump says Tehran has ‘no plan’ to execute protesters as UK closes embassy

Close'No plans for executions': Trump claims killings in Iran have stoppedUS president Donald Trump said he's been told “on good authority” that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, even as Tehran pressed ahead with fast-track trials in its crackdown on protesters.
Trump previously told protesting Iranians that “help is on the way” and that his administration would “act accordingly” in response to the killing of thousands of demonstrators by the security forces.
The unrest in Iran has forced the UK to close its Tehran embassy and withdraw its staff from the country, while both Poland and Italy have urged their citizens to leave.
The UK is also withdrawing staff from a military base in Qatar, and the US is reducing its personnel numbers at its Qatari Al-Udeid air base – the Middle East's largest US base, which houses around 10,000 troops.
Tehran warned other regional countries that it would attack if the US launched military action on it in response to the dead..

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Trump says Iran has ‘no plan’ to execute protesters

Trump says Iran has 'no plan' to execute protesters1 hour agoShareSaveTabby WilsonShareSaveWatch: Trump says the “killing has stopped” in IranPresident Donald Trump says Tehran has “no plan” to execute protesters, but still hasn't ruled out US military action against the country over its violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrators.
The US and UK are both reducing the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, while officials have told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that a partial American withdrawal is a “precautionary measure”.
Iran's airspace was closed to nearly all flights for five hours overnight, with several airlines announcing that they will reroute flights around Iran.
The Foreign Office has also temporarily closed the British embassy in Tehran, which will now operate remotely, a government spokesperson said.
Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, Trump said his administration had been told “on good authority” that “the killing in I..

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‘I carried my wife’s body for an hour and a half’ – BBC hears stories of protesters killed in Iran

'I carried my wife's body for an hour and a half' – BBC hears stories of protesters killed in Iran9 hours agoShareSaveSarah Namjoo and Roja AssadiBBC PersianShareSaveUser generated contentProtesters march through Kashani, Tehran, on 8 JanuaryWarning: This article contains graphic descriptions of death and injury
Heading home after joining a protest in Tehran on 8 January, Reza put his arms around his wife Maryam to protect her. “Suddenly, I felt my arm go light – there was only her jacket in my hands,” he told a family member, who later spoke to BBC Persian. Maryam had been fatally shot – and they had no idea where the bullet had come from.
Reza carried Maryam's body for an hour and a half. Exhausted, he sat down in an alley. After a short time, the door of a nearby house opened. The people who lived there took them into their garage, brought a white sheet and wrapped Maryam's body in it.
Days before Maryam headed out to the protests, she had told her children ..

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World’s safest airline for 2026 has been named and it’s not UAE’s Emirates

World’s Safest Airline Announced and Emirates Fans May Be Shocked In an aviation milestone that is turning heads worldwide, a national carrier of the United Arab Emirates based in Abu Dhabi, has been named the world’s safest full-service airline for 2026 by AirlineRatings.com, beating out more than 320 global competitors and relegating even the region’s famed Emirates to a lower spot on the list. This marks the first time a Gulf carrier has claimed the very top spot in the annual safety rankings, underscoring the UAE’s rising influence in global aviation safety and operations.The annual AirlineRatings list, considered one of the most trusted benchmarks in global aviation, assesses carriers not by popularity or luxury branding but by incident history, fleet age, pilot training, international audits and other rigorous safety metrics, including a new emphasis on turbulence prevention efforts and onboard real-time response protocols.UAE airline that surpasses the giants: Why it topped the ..

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‘Not about Right or Left but Right and Wrong’: The Clintons pen defiant letter on Epstein probe; refuse to testify

AP image Former US President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton on Wednesday defied a congressional subpoena through a letter, declining to testify in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and their past associations with the convicted sex trafficker, even as Republican lawmakers move to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against them.In the letter, which was shared on social media, the Clintons criticised the House Oversight Committee’s probe as “legally invalid” and said the committee’s Republican chair, Representative James Comer, was pushing a process “literally designed to result in our imprisonment.”“We will forcefully defend ourselves,” the Clintons, who are Democrats, wrote.“Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences,” the Clintons wrote. “For us, now is that time.”Bill Clinton was due to appear before the committee on Tuesday, while H..

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How Iran is ‘jamming’ Starlink satellites to stop horror of protest crackdown reaching the outside world

Leer en EspañolAs protests raged across Iran over the weekend, the authoritarian regime imposed a near-total internet blackout – and many demonstrators turned to Elon Musk’s Starlink in the hope that it could connect them to the outside world.
Tehran enacted the internet blackout on Thursday as part of a ruthless crackdown against the protesters, who are demonstrating against the country’s economic crisis. At least 646 protesters are reported to have been killed, according to human rights groups.
As concern mounts that the blackout is concealing atrocities against protesters, there have been growing calls for the US to assist in restoring connectivity in Iran. Donald Trump on Sunday promised he would speak to Musk about using his Starlink service to restore internet across the country.
open image in galleryProtesters have taken to the streets in Iran in response to the economic crisis, amid wider disapproval of the clerical regime (Middle East Images)But even Starlink appears to have..

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Man fined US$2,200 in Malaysia for masking Singapore number plate to buy subsidised fuel

AdvertisementMalaysiaAsiaSoutheast AsiaMan fined US$2,200 in Malaysia for masking Singapore number plate to buy subsidised fuelA judge said Long Sa Kow will be required to serve nine months’ imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPCNAPublished: 2:01pm, 14 Jan 2026The man who was caught on video pumping subsidised RON95 fuel into his Singapore-registered car in Johor was on Wednesday fined 9,000 ringgit (US$2,217) for obstructing the registration number of his vehicle.Malaysian Long Sa Kow, who is a Singapore permanent resident, was charged under Section 108 (3) (E) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for allegedly exhibiting an altered or tampered vehicle registration number.
The offence carries a fine of between 5,000 ringgit and 20,000 ringgit, a prison term of one to five years or both.
AdvertisementIn the video that made its rounds on social media, Long was seen pumping RON95 fuel – which is subsidised only for Malaysians with locally register..

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Chinese risk study finds space solar power stations could accidentally zap satellites

AdvertisementScienceChinaScienceChinese risk study finds space solar power stations could accidentally zap satellitesBeijing team finds that potential electrical discharges, though brief, could induce abnormal currents in spacecraft systems
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLing Xinin OhioPublished: 2:00pm, 14 Jan 2026As China pushes to take the global lead in building space-based solar power stations, a new study warns that powerful lasers beaming energy back to Earth could pose serious risks to other satellites in the increasingly crowded low-Earth orbit.
If these beams miss their targets – because of tracking errors or system malfunctions – they could strike nearby spacecraft, overheat solar panels or trigger electrical discharges, according to a team from the Beijing Institute of Satellite Environment Engineering.
Such discharges can induce unintended currents, potentially damaging on-board electronics and forcing an emergency shutdown. The risk is greater when the laser ..

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Why Trump’s sweeping 25% Iran tariffs have revived fears of global trade war

President Donald Trump has implemented a 25 per cent tariff on all of Iran’s trading partners in response to a violent crackdown by Tehran on protesters.
Oil prices jumped to the highest levels since November in the aftermath of the announcement, sparking concerns about an impact on the global economy.
The US leader has been unequivocal about using military force in Iran if protesters are killed and will discuss “several options” with senior military officials on Tuesday.
Experts say his latest strategy is an attempt to strong-arm the country into compliance – but the Supreme Court has struck down his previous tariff policy.
The Independent looks at whether the announcement of new tariffs on Iran’s economic allies will have a widespread economic impact.
open image in galleryA crowd gathers during a pro-government rally on Monday in Tehran, Iran (Getty)What does Trump’s tariff policy entail?The US president’s announcement came in a characteristically bombastic Truth Social post on M..

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More than 2,000 people reported killed at Iran protests as Trump says ‘help is on its way’

More than 2,000 people reported killed at Iran protests as Trump says 'help is on its way'1 hour agoShareSaveDavid GrittenandPaul Adams,Diplomatic correspondentShareSaveReutersArmed security forces were deployed at a pro-government rally in Tehran on MondayMore than 2,000 people have been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said, as President Trump promised Iranians that help was “on its way”.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that it had so far confirmed the killing of 1,850 protesters, 135 people affiliated with the government and nine uninvolved civilians as well as nine children over the last 17 days despite an internet blackout.
An Iranian official also told Reuters that 2,000 people had been killed but that “terrorists” were to blame.
Trump will attend a meeting about Iran on Tuesday evening, and has pledged to get “accurate ” death toll figures.
“The killing looks like it&#0..

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