NTD Evening News

President Donald Trump on Jan. 2 vowed to come to the aid of the opposition in Iran if protesters are killed by the Tehran regime. Several people have already been killed in the Islamic Republic after demonstrations over the nation’s ailing economy turned violent, Iranian media and rights groups reported earlier.

Prosecutors in Switzerland say sparklers likely caused the fire that left at least 40 people dead on New Year's Eve. Many of the victims were foreigners. Americans were in the alpine town, but it's not yet clear if any are among the victims.

About 40 people were killed and another 115 injured, most of them seriously, after a fire ripped through a bar’s New Year celebration in a Swiss Alpine resort less than two hours after midnight on Thursday, police said. Authorities did not immediately have an exact count of the deceased.

A significant escalation in the recent unrest in Iran. For the first time, authorities are reporting deaths. A Washington-based non-profit in Iran said two demonstrators were killed during protests in Lordegan and state-run IRNA news agency is reporting that a Guard member was killed. The recent uprising is over rising prices, inflation, and cost of living, as well as the country’s currency plummeting.

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City’s mayor just past midnight on Thursday, becoming the first Muslim, South Asian, and Africa-born leader of the nation’s largest city. Mamdani’s democratic socialist platform, promising to tackle affordability, led him to the office at just 34 years old.

In a statement on Truth Social on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he will withdraw National Guard troops from multiple U.S. cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. He said crime has been “greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities.” The announcement came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not deploy National Guard troops to protect federal immigration agents.

The White House says it is ramping up resources to hold people accountable for alleged rampant fraud in Minnesota. The Department of Health and Human Services says it’s freezing all child care payments to the state and putting additional safeguards in place.

Moscow today released video footage of a downed drone, two days after accusing Ukraine of launching more than 90 drones in an alleged attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence. Trump told reporters, "I was very angry about it." The United States is still working to find out what happened, he said.

The United States struck another drug-carrying vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Monday, amid a major military buildup in the Caribbean. The move follows President Donald Trump’s announcement that U.S. forces destroyed a drug boat loading facility inside Venezuela last week.

Russia has yet to provide evidence backing its claim that Ukraine attacked the residence of President Vladimir Putin with drones, as the U.S. ambassador to NATO publicly cast doubt on Moscow’s accusation. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party fired missiles around Taiwan for a second day, continuing large-scale drills encircling the island. Some analysts say the maneuvers appear to rehearse an invasion rather than follow routine exercises.

And tensions spiked between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE says it’s voluntarily withdrawing its last remaining military forces from Yemen, following Saudi airstrikes on a southern Yemeni port city. Saudi Arabia claims the strikes targeted a weapons shipment allegedly sent from the UAE to support separatist forces.

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President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Monday to discuss advancing a Gaza ceasefire plan. Trump said reconstruction in Gaza could begin soon and again called on Hamas to disarm, warning that if it does not, countries backing the peace effort would “wipe out Hamas.” He also warned Iran not to rebuild its nuclear facilities, saying the United States would very quickly “eradicate that buildup.”

The Kremlin claims Ukraine launched an overnight drone attack targeting the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging an attempted assassination involving more than 90 drones. This comes just one day after Ukraine said both sides had agreed on most elements of a potential deal, with Moscow now saying its position in the negotiations will be reviewed. Ukraine has denied claims of an attack, calling it a lie from Russia.

In another U.S. military action targeting Venezuelan drug traffickers, Trump announced that American forces destroyed a major facility inside Venezuela. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party has launched a two-day, large-scale military drill surrounding Taiwan, as the United States and Japan increase their support for the self-governing island.

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A cease-fire has been reached between Thailand and Cambodia after the deadliest clashes in years between the two Southeast Asian nations. At least 101 people were killed, and leaders on both sides are now expressing hope the new agreement will hold.

On Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law requiring warning labels on the addictive features of social media platforms such as TikTok and X. The move is part of the state’s effort to address a youth mental health crisis linked to social media use.

As Americans take to the roads and airports during the busy travel period between Christmas and New Year’s, a winter storm has caused more than a thousand flights to be canceled or delayed across the Northeast and Great Lakes regions.

The U.S. military launched a series of airstrikes against ISIS terrorists in Nigeria on Christmas Day. The strikes followed reports that the terrorist group has been killing Christians in the country. The U.S. says the operation was carried out at the request of the Nigerian government, which described the strikes as a “joint operation” targeting terrorists.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is set to meet with President Trump in Florida on Sunday. According to Kyiv, the latest peace deal is “90 percent ready,” even as fighting continues.

A powerful storm system triggered catastrophic flooding across California during the Christmas holiday, killing at least three people. Entire neighborhoods were submerged, prompting water rescues, with more dangerous weather still ahead.

Millions of Californians are under a state of emergency this Christmas Day as a deadly storm batters the Golden State with heavy flooding and high winds, with more severe weather on the way. Some residents are evacuating, while others are sheltering at home.

Pope Leo delivered his first Christmas Day address at the Vatican Thursday, calling for an end to global conflicts, with particular emphasis on Ukraine and the Middle East. Meanwhile, Christians in Lebanon and Syria marked Christmas even as military clashes continue in both countries.

On Christmas Eve, President Donald Trump surprised children by answering NORAD Santa calls. He also spoke with U.S. service members to thank them for their service, and to acknowledge the sacrifices they and their families make when duty separates them during the holiday season.

A powerful storm carrying a strong atmospheric river is laying siege to California. Evacuations have been issued amid the risk of life-threatening flooding and debris flows. According to the Weather Prediction Center, a Level 4 of 4 “high” risk of flooding rain is in place for Southern California on Wednesday, affecting more than 7 million people across parts of Los Angeles and surrounding counties.

A tragedy in eastern Pennsylvania: an explosion at a nursing home near Philadelphia claimed at least two lives and injured 20 others. The blast collapsed part of the building, sent flames shooting out, and left residents trapped inside.

Christians from around the world are preparing to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began two years ago. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the United States and Ukraine have reached consensus on several key issues aimed at ending the war, though sensitive matters remain unresolved.

The U.S. economy is growing at its fastest pace in two years. The Commerce Department reports that GDP expanded at an annualized rate of 4.3 percent in the third quarter, beating expectations.

The Supreme Court today delivered a setback to the Trump administration, denying a request to deploy more than 300 National Guard members to the Chicago area.

Southern California is bracing for a powerful holiday storm that forecasters warn could be one of the most dangerous in years. Officials say heavy rain, flooding, and hazardous travel conditions could peak on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.