Iranian deputy foreign minister says channel to be set up for MoU breaches Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi says a communication channel will be established to report and discuss breaches of the memorandum of understanding reached between the US and Iran, according to the official IRNA news agency. Following a meeting with Qatari mediators, Gharibabadi also said that part of the $6bn in frozen Iranian assets would be used to purchase goods needed by Tehran.
Spanish government ‘quietly bans’ use of Palantir over national security concerns The Spanish government has moved to ban the US surveillance firm Palantir amid fears that national security information could be leaked, according to the Spanish publication El Confidencial. Board members of several publicly listed companies told the paper they have been ordered to avoid signing any contracts with the data firm due to threats to national sovereignty, although the Spanish government has not issued any official announcement about the ban. Palantir, the controversial AI company owned by US billionaire Peter Thiel, accused of facilitating genocide in Palestine, holds £670m in contracts with the British civil and defence industries, including the NHS.
Gaza interim administration says talks in Cyprus ‘highly productive’ The Palestinian technocratic body tasked with provisionally administering the occupied Gaza Strip said on Wednesday that it had concluded two days of “highly productive” talks in Cyprus. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (Ncag) said in a statement to X that it conducted “a series of working meetings in Cyprus with experts and advisers of the Board of Peace, the Office of the High Representative for Gaza, and the Tony Blair Institute”, focusing on efforts to “relieve the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza”. “We reviewed plans for reconstruction, security, and governance, and we finalised the institutional arrangements that will ensure the transparency and accountability required by international donors,” the statement added.
Israeli Knesset passes bill limiting mosque loudspeakers The Knesset on Wednesday passed its preliminary reading of a bill, put forward by the far-right party Otzma Yehudit, that would limit mosque loudspeakers. According to Israeli media, “Mosques and other houses of worship would be barred from installing or operating a public address system without a permit. Police would be granted authority to enter premises where a violation is suspected in order to halt the use of the system, and in cases of continued violation, to confiscate the equipment entirely.
Lebanon’s president defends Lebanon-Israel framework agreement Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has pushed back against criticism of the country’s ceasefire framework with Israel signed last week in Washington after Hezbollah supporters took to the streets in protest of the agreement. “Lebanon’s problem is with Israel, and it is a sovereign state that decided to negotiate on its own behalf,” Aoun is reported as saying by Lebanon's National News Agency, adding that “it has not relinquished its legal, political or field principles in the framework agreement, as some are claiming. ” The framework was criticised by Hezbollah for not making the withdrawal of Israel troops from occupying southern Lebanon contingent on the disarmament of Hezbollah.
US signs agreement for construction of permanent embassy in Jerusalem The US signed an agreement on Wednesday to build a new embassy compound in southern Jerusalem. US ambassador Mike Huckabee said during the signing ceremony at Israel’s foreign ministry that Washington “recognizes Jerusalem as the eternal, indigenous, and forever capital of the Jewish people”. “We are going to plant our flag, our American flag, on the soil of Jerusalem for a permanent and a brand new embassy compound that will serve as our mothership of diplomatic activities here in Israel,” he added.
Iranian president insists supreme leader did not bar negotiations Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended the Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei against allegations that he did not sign off on the memorandum of understanding with the US. Pezeshkian was quoted as saying that if Khamanei “had ordered not to negotiate, we would have definitely obeyed” by Iran’s IRNA news agency. This comes after controversy was sparked when the supreme leader said he “held a different view” on the agreement.
Pro-Palestine immigrant ousts 30-year veteran in Colorado Democratic primary Democratic Socialists in the US netted a landmark win on Tuesday after a 29-year-old Ethiopian immigrant and political newcomer unseated a member of Congress who has held that job since before she was born. Melat Kiros, a lawyer and PhD student, mounted a stunning upset for establishment Democrats after she was declared the winner of the Democratic primary in Colorado's 1st congressional district, which includes the state capital, Denver. Kiros' opponent, Diana DeGette, had not yet acknowledged the results of the race on either of her two X accounts by Wednesday morning, but had received the backing of Colorado's elected Democratic Party leaders in a state that has long been a deep Democratic blue.
Iran says talks in Qatar have concluded Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi announced on Wednesday that talks with Qatari and Pakistani officials in Doha on implementing the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran have concluded. The participants agreed that “a communication channel would be established by tomorrow” to report and record violations of the agreement, the IRNA news agency quoted Gharibabadi as saying. He added that it has been decided that part of the $6b in frozen funds would be used to purchase goods based on Iran’s needs.
Crew member missing after US naval helicopter conducts emergency landing in Arabian Sea A Sea Hawk helicopter conducted an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea this morning, the US Fifth Fleet said on Wednesday in a statement on X. Three of the helicopter’s crew are in stable condition, while a search commences for the fourth. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, but “there is no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action”, the statement added.
Pro-Palestine immigrant ousts 30-year veteran in Colorado Democratic primary Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 07/01/2026 - 16:26 The upset for establishment Democrats follows a similar wave across blue states emboldened by Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City Democratic congressional candidate Melat Kiros addresses supporters at an election-night watch party after winning the Colorado primary on 30 June 2026 in Denver, Colorado (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images via AFP) Off Democratic Socialists in the US netted a landmark win on Tuesday after a 29-year-old Ethiopian immigrant and political newcomer unseated a member of Congress who has held that job since before she was born. Melat Kiros, a lawyer and PhD student, mounted a stunning upset for establishment Democrats after she was declared the winner of the Democratic primary in Colorado's 1st congressional district, which includes the state capital, Denver. Kiros' opponent, Diana DeGette, had not yet acknowledged the results of the race on either of her two X accounts by Wednesday morning, but had received the backing of Colorado's elected Democratic Party leaders in a state that has long been a deep Democratic blue.
Europe to fill gaps left by US in Nato defence plans, Reuters reports Nato will announce that its European members have filled almost all gaps left by the US in the alliance’s defence plans at next week’s Ankara summit, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a Nato source. The main gap Nato is struggling to fill has been its strategic bombers, after the US said it will only provide one aircraft rather than two, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Vance: Iran talks going ‘extremely well’, Trump has ‘options’ to respond to threats US Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that negotiations with Iran have gone “extremely well”, but if Iran were to “threaten its neighbours”, Trump has “options” to respond. “If Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear programme, threaten its neighbours and support terrorism, President Trump has options to deal with it,” Vance said in a statement. Vance added that the US delegation is holding indirect talks with Iran in Doha, following reports from Iran that their officials have not met with US counterparts.
UNIFIL says peacekeepers facing ‘restrictions on freedom of movement’ in Lebanon The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday that its peacekeepers remain monitoring on the ground in Lebanon, but have been impeded by obstacles to their freedom of movement. In a statement to Telegram, UNIFIL said that the peacekeepers’ mission has been restricted by “blocked routes to barriers, debris, and other obstacles temporarily [stopping] essential patrols and safety operations.
Kamala Harris reaches out to Mamdani, pro-Palestine activists, Axios reports Axios has reported that former US Vice President and Democratic party presidential candidate Kamala Harris privately called New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week and has held several meetings with pro-Palestine progressives and activists. This comes after a slate of progressive candidates endorsed by Mamdani won primaries across New York, replacing establishment Democrats funded by pro-Israel groups.
Iran says it met with Qatar, Pakistan officials in Doha, but not US Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Wednesday that Iranian delegations held meetings with their Qatari and Pakistani counterparts, but did not meet US representatives. He added that the conversations with Qatar and Pakistan followed up on the implementation of the provisions included in Iran's memorandum of understanding with the US, especially in matters pertaining to Lebanon and the release of Iran’s frozen assets, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.
UK: Backlash as Lloyds 'debanks' independent media outlet The Canary 'with no explanation' Submitted by Hannah. Smith on Wed, 07/01/2026 - 12:39 Social media users have criticised the ‘troubling’ move, warning of dangerous implications for free speech A bus drives past a branch of Lloyds Bank in London, 28 January 2026 (Jack Taylor/Reuters) Off The Canary, an independent media organisation based in the UK, said on Tuesday that it has been debanked by Lloyds Bank. In a statement shared on its website and across social media, it said that the British banking giant was "withholding a substantial amount of our money" and had "not explained why it has taken this action [d]espite multiple communications from us".
Israeli strikes kill at least three in Gaza city Wafa news agency reported two Israeli strikes that have left at least three dead and several critically injured in northern Gaza City on Wednesday. An Israeli combat drone struck near al-Helou Feil Station, killing three people, according to local sources. Several Palestinians were wounded in an earlier Israeli drone strike targeting a group of people near Dar Al-Arqam School in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood.
Israel says troops will remain in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza ‘until further notice’ Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the Israeli army will continue to occupy areas in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “until further notice” in a statement from the defence ministry released on Wednesday. Katz claimed Israeli forces have established so-called “security zones” which are designed “to protect Israel’s residents and communities from jihadist terrorists. ” He has not offered any timeline for the withdrawal of Israeli troops, including in Lebanon, which Hezbollah has said is paramount for any peace deal between the countries and cannot be reliant on the Lebanese group's disarmament.
Pilgrims and tourists detained in Saudi Arabia over online posts Submitted by Rayhan Uddin on Wed, 07/01/2026 - 15:30 Report documents cases of arrests and lengthy sentences due to social media expression, as wife of French detainee tells MEE her husbands faces 'repeated abuses' Ahmed al-Doush, who was working for Bank of America at the time, was arrested in August 2024 at Riyadh airport over his social media usage (Supplied) Off People visiting Saudi Arabia for religious pilgrimages and tourism are being detained, subjected to unfair trials and sentenced to lengthy jail time over social media expression, according to a new report. Amnesty International and Alqst published a report this week looking into the cases of at least nine people, mostly from Middle East and Global South countries of origin, detained over online posts. The arrests took place between July 2022 and late last year.
