Israel is closely monitoring the fallout from widespread Iranian protests. An Israeli official said Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran could escalate the situation into a regional war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Iran overnight Saturday. However, Israel’s military said there are no new guidelines for civilians to stay close to bomb shelters. The protests are considered an internal Iranian matter, but the military is ready to respond if needed. Experts believe neither side wants another war, and Israel is likely to wait and see what happens next.

Prediction markets let people wager on anything from a basketball game to the outcome of a presidential election — and recently, the downfall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Last week, an anonymous trader on Polymarket pocketed more than $400,000 after betting that Maduro would soon be out of office. The commercial use of prediction markets has skyrocketed in recent years, opening the door for people to wage their money on the likelihood of a growing list of future events. But in terms of government oversight in the U.S., the trades are categorized differently than traditional forms of gambling, raising questions about transparency and risk.

A group of Buddhist monks is getting viral attention with their 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. The monks say their aim is to promote mindfulness and healing and finding inner peace. Their journey has already attracted large crowds across five southern states. Accompanied by a rescue dog named Aloka, they have faced challenges, including a road accident that injured two of the monks. When they reach the nation's capital, they plan to request official recognition of Vesak as a federal U.S. holiday. Vesak is the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha.

A Virginia man who had a relationship with a Brazilian au pair is going on trial in the killings of his wife and another man. Brendan Banfield is charged with aggravated murder in the February 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan at a home in northern Virginia. Prosecutors argue the killings stem from a catfishing scheme in which Banfield lured Ryan to the house and staged it to look like he and the family's au pair shot a predator in defense. Not all officials investigating the case believe Banfield catfished Ryan. Banfield's attorney says that officials are searching for evidence to fit their theory of the elaborate scheme.

Israel’s official state photos from last year portend to show history in the making. They include images of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trips to the U.N. and world leaders convening to advance a tenuous Gaza peace plan. But when examined closely, the pictures are not accurate depictions of reality. Experts say they have been altered to make Sara Netanyahu look younger. That discovery has ignited a firestorm in Israel. Journalists, lawyers and members of the political opposition say the edited photos violate ethical codes and risk denigrating the state’s archives.

The next U.S. census is four years away, but two lawsuits playing out this year could affect how the head count will be done and who'll be counted. Allies of President Donald Trump are behind the lawsuits challenging various aspects of the once-a-decade count by the U.S. Census Bureau that's used to determine congressional representation and federal aid to states. The lawsuits align with parts of Trump's agenda, even as his administration must defend the Census Bureau and its methods in court. Democratic-aligned groups are trying to intervene because of concerns over whether the Justice Department will defend the bureau vigorously.

Becky Pepper-Jackson is a 15-year-old in West Virginia who knows the upcoming sports season could be her last. West Virginia has banned transgender girls like the discus-throwing sophomore from competing in girls and women’s sports. The state is among more than two dozen with similar laws. Lower courts have blocked the West Virginia law, but the outcome could be different at the conservative-dominated Supreme Court. The justices have allowed multiple restrictions on transgender people to be enforced in the past year. The justices are hearing arguments Tuesday. President Donald Trump’s Republican administration has targeted transgender Americans.

A Ukrainian drone strike has killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh. Russian officials said Saturday's attack damaged more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school. Regional Governor Alexander Gusev said air defenses shot down 17 drones over the city. Voronezh is about 155 miles from the Ukrainian border. The strike follows Russia's intense bombardment of Ukraine with drones and missiles that killed at least four people in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said talks with the U.S. are ongoing about defending Ukraine from further aggression.

Greenland’s harsh environment, lack of key infrastructure and difficult geology have prevented anyone from building a mine to extract the sought-after rare earth elements that many high-tech products require. Those challenges won't go away even if President Donald Trump takes control of the Arctic island. Trump has made it a priority to break China’s stranglehold on the global supply of rare earths and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to do that. Now the president is again pitching that taking over Greenland could solve the problem. But Greenland may not ever produce many rare earths because of the inherent challenges.

Protests challenging Iran’s theocracy have reached the two-week mark, with demonstrators flooding the streets in Tehran and Mashhad. Activists say at least 116 people have died, and 2,600 have been detained. The internet blackout makes it hard to gauge the situation. Iran's parliament speaker warned the U.S. and Israel could be targets if the U.S. strikes Iran. President Trump has expressed support for the protesters, hinting at possible military action. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has signaled a crackdown, with protesters facing severe penalties. The unrest began over economic issues but has grown into a broader challenge to the government.

Myanmar has opened a second round of voting in the country’s first general election since a takeover that installed a military government five years ago. The voting Sunday expanded to additional townships including some areas affected by the civil war between the military government and its armed opponents. Polling stations opened in 100 townships. Many of the areas have seen clashes in recent months or remain under heightened security. The election is being held in three phases due to the civil war. The first round took place Dec. 28. Critics say the polls organized by the military government are neither free nor fair.

At the end of his seventh season as Green Bay’s coach, Matt LaFleur saw a team that lacked composure at big moments in a playoff game. Green Bay blew a 21-6 lead in the fourth quarter of a wild 31-27 loss to the Chicago Bears in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday night. The collapse included two big misses for Brandon McManus on an extra point and a 44-yard field goal, to go along with a delay-of-game penalty coming out of a timeout and a fumbled snap on the final play of the game. LaFleur says he felt his team "got a little bit disheveled in the second half.”

Caleb Williams came through in his playoff debut, throwing a go-ahead, 25-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore with 1:43 remaining, and the Chicago Bears rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the rival Green Bay Packers 31-27 in a wild-card playoff game. The NFC North champion Bears extended their resurgent first season under coach Ben Johnson with their seventh fourth-quarter comeback victory. Chicago trailed 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 through three quarters, only to outscore Green Bay 25-6 in the fourth on the way to its first playoff win in 15 years.

Many of the 8 million Venezuelans scattered across the Americas received the news of their president's capture with caution. After fleeing political and economic crises over the past decade many say they do not foresee a quick return to their homeland. But some politicians in the countries where they are now living are already talking like it is time for Venezuelans to go home. Experts say it is unlikely there will be sufficient improvement in Venezuela to tempt many to return in the near future. But pressure on Venezuelan migrants to move again could put at risk an already vulnerable population.

The Golden Globes bill themselves as Hollywood’s booziest bash. Whose ready to party? Political tension and industrywide uncertainty are the prevailing moods heading into Sunday's 83rd Golden Globes. Hollywood is coming off a disappointing box-office year and now anxiously awaits the fate of Warner Bros. But through their ups and downs, the Globes have always tried to put pomp over politics. The Golden Globes kick off at 8 p.m. on CBS while streaming live for Paramount+ premium subscribers. The favorite going in is Paul Thomas Anderson's “One Battle After Another.” The leading TV nominee is “The White Lotus.” Timothée Chalamet could win his first Globe. And podcasters will get an award for the first time.