Trump seeks Davos signing ceremony for Gaza Board of Peace

Plans are being put together at President Donald Trump’s direction to hold a signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, for the Gaza Board of Peace, Fox News confirmed on Tuesday.

Bloomberg was first to report the plans.

The Trump administration began sending invitations to countries over the weekend, asking them to become founding members of the so-called Board of Peace.

“Dozens” of countries have been invited to join the board, Fox News confirmed. The official invites went out Friday.

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Trump extended invitations to leaders from Russia, Belarus, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Argentina, Jordan, Egypt, Hungary and Vietnam, among others.

Some invited countries have raised concerns about the terms of the proposed Gaza peace board, as participation would come with a substantial financial commitment, according to Bloomberg. 

European allies are seeking to adjust the proposal and organize a joint response, including enlisting Arab nations to push for changes to the $1 billion permanent membership fee, the outlet reported.

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When questioned on Tuesday about French President Emmanuel Macron seemingly signaling reluctance to accept the invitation, Trump said, “Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon. So, you know, that’s alright.”

“What I’ll do is if they feel like hostile, I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join,” Trump said. “But, he doesn’t have to join.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also pushed back on the proposal after Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi were named as appointed members to a separate “Gaza Executive Board.”

Netanyahu’s office said the move was not coordinated with Israel and “runs contrary to its policy.”

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The White House said on Friday that Trump will chair the Board of Peace and be joined by a group of senior political, diplomatic and business figures, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and billionaire Marc Rowan, among others.

Taxpayer-funded Minnesota charter school shuts down in-person learning amid ICE raids

A taxpayer-funded Minnesota charter school moved classes online this week citing safety concerns, while a community organization advised illegal immigrants to stay home amid reported U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and warned of widespread fear and disruption in the local Myanmar community.

Sejong Academy, a public charter school in St. Paul, announced it would move to online learning for the remainder of the week after citing concerns for the “safety and well-being” of its school community, according to a notice posted on its website.

“Sejong Academy will proceed with online learning for the remainder of this week (January 14 and 15),” the school’s website read. “Thank you for your continued support and cooperation as we prioritize the safety and well-being of our school community.”

The school said students would attend classes remotely Wednesday and Thursday before a previously scheduled day off Friday for staff professional development. The announcement did not specify the nature of the safety concerns prompting the decision.

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The shift came as Urban Village, a Minnesota-based community organization, released a video and posted statements on Instagram addressing immigration enforcement activity and urging illegal immigrants to remain at home.

In the video, a representative of Urban Village said the organization was communicating urgent information “regarding ICE,” while another speaker advised people without a green card or proof of citizenship to stay home and avoid opening their doors to people they do not recognize.

The video also referenced schools offering online learning options for families concerned about sending children to school.

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In a separate Instagram post, Urban Village said members of Minnesota’s Myanmar diaspora had been detained by ICE and U.S. Border Patrol and transferred to detention centers outside the state.

The organization claimed some detainees were pressured to sign documents waiving legal rights and alleged enforcement actions that may have violated policies or laws, citing information obtained from a public official.

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Urban Village said it was advising noncitizens and non-green card holders to remain home, avoid driving and limit contact amid what it described as heightened enforcement, adding that the guidance had caused parents to miss work, medical appointments to be skipped and children to miss school and activities.

Sejong Academy did not reference immigration enforcement or ICE in its online learning announcement, and it is unclear whether the school coordinated with Urban Village or adjusted operations in response to the organization’s guidance.

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According to IRS filings reviewed by ProPublica and verified by Fox News Digital, Sejong Academy reported receiving more than $7 million in government grants, underscoring its status as a publicly funded charter school.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Sejong Academy and Urban Village for comment.

Top Iranian official downplays death toll, blames ‘Israeli plot’ as US considers strikes

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected claims of mass casualties amid a recent surge in protests within the Islamic country and blamed any killings that have taken place on an “Israeli plot” intended to create a large number of casualties. 

The claim came during a wide-ranging interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier” Wednesday evening, during which Araghchi was told estimates have indicated the death toll in his country could be anywhere between 2,500 to more than 12,000 protesters. But, according to the top Iranian official, the number is in the hundreds. 

“When terrorist elements led from outside, entered this, you know, protests and started to shoot, you know, police forces, police officers and security forces. And there were terrorist cells. They came in, they used Daesh-style terrorist operations. They got police officers, burned them alive, they beheaded them, and they started shooting at police officers and also to the people. So as a result, for three days, we had, in fact, fighting against terrorists, and not with the protesters,” Araghchi said. “It was completely a different story.”

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According to Araghchi, these rogue, terrorist-like actors he spoke of started shooting at civilians for “one reason,” which he said was to draw the United States into the conflict. 

“They wanted to increase the number of deaths. Why? Because President Trump has said that if there are killings, he would intervene. And they wanted to drag him into this conflict,” the Iranian Foreign Minister continued. “And that was exactly an Israeli plot. They started to increase the number of deaths by killing ordinary people, by killing police officers, by starting a kind of, you know, fighting inside the different cities.”

Iran has seen widespread unrest since the last week of December, as the country faces a massive economic crash that spurred many in Iran to take to the streets in protest.

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Contrary to Araghchi’s claims are eyewitness reports that describe government forces in Iran firing upon unarmed protesters. Some even spoke of snipers taking aim at innocent Iranians, according to testimony shared with the New York Times.

During Baier’s interview with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Araghchi also insisted that there are no imminent plans to hang, or otherwise execute, protesters. The top Iranian official tried to downplay the unrest erupting in his country as well, arguing there is now “a calm.”    

“We are in full control,” Araghchi added. “And let’s, you know, hope that wisdom would prevail. And we don’t go for a high level of tension, which could be disastrous for everybody.”

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South Korean prosecutor seeks death penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial law declaration: ‘Self-coup’

A South Korean court heard arguments Tuesday seeking the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, as prosecutors accused the ousted leader of orchestrating a rebellion through his controversial martial law declaration in December 2024.

Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk asked the Seoul Central District Court to impose the sentence, arguing that Yoon’s actions amounted to “anti-state activities” and describing the decree as a “self-coup.”

Yoon, a conservative who was removed from office last spring, remains in custody while facing multiple criminal proceedings tied to the martial law episode and other controversies from his presidency. Prosecutors say the rebellion charge carries the most severe potential punishment.

SOUTH KOREAN PROSECUTORS INDICT IMPEACHED PRESIDENT WHO DECLARED MARTIAL LAW

Cho’s team argued in court that Yoon sought to prolong his hold on power by undermining South Korea’s constitutional system of governance.

Yoon has rejected the accusations, telling the court that the investigations into his conduct have been “frenzied” and marked by “manipulation” and “distortion.”

He has maintained that the declaration of martial law was intended to alert the public to what he viewed as the growing threat posed by the opposition Democratic Party, which used its legislative majority to block his political agenda. 

Yoon argued that the exercise of presidential emergency powers cannot be treated as rebellion under the law.

The court is expected to deliver a verdict next month. Legal experts have said a life sentence is more likely than execution, noting that South Korea has not carried out a death penalty since 1997.

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT REMOVED FROM OFFICE FOUR MONTHS AFTER DECLARING MARTIAL LAW

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Yoon is the first South Korean president who has faced a potential death penalty after leaving office since Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death in 1996 for various crimes. Chun’s death sentence was later commuted to life in prison, and he was subsequently pardoned and freed.

Iranian student shot in head at close range amid protests, body buried along roadside

A 23-year-old student was shot in the head at close range during protests in Iran, according to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, as the regime continues its violent crackdown on nationwide demonstrations.

Rubina Aminian, a student of textile and fashion design at Shariati Technical and Vocational College for Girls in Tehran, was killed Jan. 8 after leaving college and joining the protests in the capital, according to Iran Human Rights.

She is among the few victims of the recent unrest whose identity has been publicly confirmed.

“Sources close to Rubina’s family, citing eyewitnesses, told Iran Human Rights that the young Kurdish woman from Marivan was shot from close range from behind, with the bullet striking her head,” the group said in a statement.

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Following her death, Aminian’s family traveled from their home in Kermanshah, western Iran, to Tehran to identify her body.

According to sources cited by Iran Human Rights, the family was taken to a location near the college where they saw the bodies of hundreds of young people allegedly killed during the protests.

“Most of the victims were young people between 18 and 22 years old, who had been shot at close range in the head and neck by government forces,” a source close to the family said.

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The family was reportedly initially barred from identifying Aminian’s body and later prevented from taking her remains, the group said.

After extensive efforts, relatives were eventually allowed to retrieve her body and return to Kermanshah.

When they got there, intelligence forces reportedly surrounded the family home and would not allow a burial to take place.

According to Iran Human Rights, the family was forced to bury Aminian’s body along the roadside between Kermanshah and the nearby city of Kamyaran.

IRANIANS ABLE TO MAKE SOME INTERNATIONAL CALLS AS INTERNET REMAINS BLOCKED AMID PROTESTS

The family has also not been permitted to hold mourning ceremonies, and several mosques in Marivan were reportedly disallowed from hosting memorial services.

Iran’s spiraling anti-government protests have been driven by widespread anger over political repression and economic hardship, including rising inflation.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimated Tuesday that over 16,700 people have been detained.

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Other rights groups have reported extremely high death tolls, with some estimates exceeding 3,000, according to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

Iran Human Rights described Aminian in a statement as “a young woman full of joy for life and passionate about fashion and clothing design, whose dreams were buried by the violent repression of the Islamic Republic.”