BBC News Briefing

12 January, 2026

Alex has dark blonde bobbed hair and blue eyes. She is smiling and wearing a black, high-neck top with a pink jumper on top

Alex Binley

Hello. Two weeks of anti-government protests in Iran have left nearly 500 people dead and 10,600 detained, according to a US-based observer group. We'll bring you the latest, including renewed threats of intervention by US President Donald Trump. In Canada, we take a look at a mysterious brain disease reported in a small province. Plus, watch the highlights from last night's Golden Globe Awards.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Hundreds of protesters killed in Iran, rights group says

A man holds up a picture while protesting. He is wearing dark colours and has a scarf partially obscuring his face. He is surrounded by a lot of other people, all standing on a street. It is night but a fire burning in the left of the photo illuminates them all.

The protests started over the economy but they have quicly become political too, with many demonstrators calling for regime change. Credit: MAHSA/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump has said the US is considering "very strong options" in Iran, after he warned last week that he would intervene if demonstrators were killed. Speaking on Sunday night, the president said Iranian leaders had contacted the US to "negotiate", but added: "We may have to act before a meeting." He has not elaborated on what military options he is considering, and will reportedly be briefed on Tuesday on specific options. On Monday, Iran's foreign minister said his country "does not seek war", but is fully prepared for one if attacked. Iranian leaders have described demonstrators as a "bunch of vandals", and called on their supporters to take part in pro-government marches on Monday.

Latest updates

Watch: Diplomatic correspondent Caroline Hawley explains what's behind the protests shaking Iran.

Reza Pahlavi: Many demonstrators are calling for the return of the exiled son of Iran's last shah. Who is he and how much support does he have?

Hospitals overwhelmed: "There wasn't even time for CPR" - Iranian medics have been speaking to the BBC about the situation on the ground.

WORLD HEADLINES

A man in a grey suit wears a white shirt and a lilac tie. He has grey hair and wears glasses with a black frame. He appears to be speaking and has his hands held up in front of him. He is holding a blue pen in his hand.

Justice department opens criminal probe into Fed chair

Jerome Powell said he believed the probe was opened due to him drawing Trump's ire after refusing to lower interest rates.

Read more >

Elon Musk wears a blue suit, white shirt and grey tie. He has short brown hair and is looking off to the side. He has a small microphone taped to his cheek and he is sat in front of a blue background.

Malaysia and Indonesia block Grok over deepfakes

Grok, an AI tool on Elon Musk's X platform, has been used to edit images of people to show them in revealing outfits.

More on this >

Two men in military fatigues wear stab vests that say 'police' on them. They are walking along a snowy road. A 4x4 car is behind them and journalists are seen next to them.

More federal agents to be sent to Minneapolis

The Trump administration said it will send hundreds of officers to the city, days after a woman was killed by an ICE agent.

What's happening >

An image shows a silhouetted elephant running across grassland. People are fleeing from it. Smoke can be seen in the distance.

Elephant kills 20 in Indian state

Human-elephant conflict has been reported in the region for years, with research linking it to habitat loss and more human activity.

What happened >

The outside of a brown airport building. No people can be seen and there is snow on the ground.

Thousands stranded in Lapland due to cold

Flights have been cancelled amid a severe cold spell, with the extreme temperatures expected to continue.

Read more >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Guantanamo Bay: "Substantial" compensation has been paid to a man tortured by the CIA and who remains imprisoned without trial after 20 years.

Revolutionary eye injection: Doctors say they have achieved the previously impossible - restoring sight in people with a rare eye condition.

"Port Talbot's Pompeii": The largest Roman villa ever found in Wales has been discovered under a park. Here's what it might have looked like.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

'The answer cannot be nothing': The battle over Canada's mystery brain disease

A number of people stand on concrete steps outside of a large building. Large, brown wooden doors and concrete pillars are seen. The people hold signs saying 'We are not a mystery, 'We stand by Doctor Morrero'.

The doctor investigating the reported cluster has ordered test after test but there is no single diagnosis for his patients. Credit: Global News

Five hundred people have been diagnosed with a mystery brain disease in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They report an array of symptoms, but some sceptical medical professionals say they point instead to other conditions. Many of the patients, however, believe they have been poisoned by an industrial environmental toxin and there is a cover-up underway.