Protests over Iran's struggling economy have spread into rural areas, with at least three people killed. Authorities reported the fatalities on Wednesday and Thursday in cities home to Iran’s Lur ethnic group. The demonstrations are the largest since 2022 but haven't reached the intensity of those sparked by Mahsa Amini's death. In Lordegan, videos showed gunfire and debris on the streets. Iran's government media hasn't reported on the violence there. The protests began due to economic pressures, with Iran's currency rapidly depreciating. Demonstrators have also chanted against the country’s theocracy.

Oklahoma Pet Collective Society is seeking the community's help in an animal abuse case.

President Donald Trump defended his energy and health in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He also disclosed that he had a CT scan, not an MRI scan, during an October examination about which he and the White House delayed offering details. Trump, in the interview, said he regretted undergoing the advanced imaging on his heart and abdomen during an October visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center because it raised public questions about his health. His physician said in a memo the White House released in December that he had “advanced imaging” as a preventative screening for men his age.

About 40 people were killed and another 115 injured, most of them seriously, during a New Year’s celebration in a Swiss Alpine bar, police said. The fire happened in the Alpine ski resort municipality of Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Attorney general of Valais Canton Beatrice Pilloud says it is too early to determine the cause of the fire. Experts have not yet been able to go inside the wreckage. Police say the fire started around 1:30 a.m. Thursday in Le Constellation. Investigators are working to determine the cause. A reception center and helpline has been established for impacted families. The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometers north of the Matterhorn.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) has identified the man who was shot and killed by a trooper near Wetumka on Wednesday afternoon.