U.S. forces have seized another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, underscoring the Trump administration’s tightening grip on Venezuela’s oil sector as opposition leader Maria Corina Machado prepares to meet President Donald Trump.

Iran abruptly shut down its airspace to commercial traffic early Thursday and the United States began repositioning military forces and personnel across the Middle East as President Donald Trump weighs potential action against Tehran amid a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, escalating threats to U.S. bases, mass evacuation warnings, and growing signs that Washington and its allies are preparing for a possible regional confrontation.

President Donald Trump warned Thursday that he is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota’s Democratic leadership fails to halt escalating violence against federal law-enforcement officers amid ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the state.

The United States will indefinitely suspend immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries beginning January 21, the U.S. Department of State announced Wednesday, marking a significant expansion of the Trump administration’s immigration restrictions.

China is reassessing its strategy in Latin America following the U.S.-led removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, a move that abruptly dismantled Beijing’s most important foothold in what it increasingly views as Washington’s backyard, according to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth vowed Monday to dismantle Pentagon bureaucracy slowing artificial intelligence development, unveiling a sweeping push to deliver AI capabilities to U.S. warfighters at speed during a speech at SpaceX’s Starbase launch site in Texas.

U.S. President Donald Trump firmly rejected antisemitism within the Republican Party and the MAGA movement during a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, declaring that individuals who espouse antisemitic views are neither welcome nor needed.

Iran’s exiled crown prince pledged Thursday that a “free Iran” would immediately recognize Israel if protesters manage to topple the Islamic Republic’s regime.

A 4.2 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Israel early Thursday, including the Dead Sea and parts of the Negev area, and residents were urged to rush to safety, experts and officials said.

By the slimmest of margins, the U.S. Senate successfully derailed a resolution that would have curtailed the Trump administration’s power to continue military action in Venezuela.