U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a clear warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro following the capture and transfer of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to the United States. Speaking at a press conference in Florida, Trump accused Petro of overseeing cocaine production and trafficking operations that send drugs into the U.S. He claimed Petro runs cocaine factories and urged close monitoring of his activities.

Before the operation in Venezuela, Trump had repeatedly accused Caracas of involvement in illegal drug smuggling into the United States. In his latest remarks, he also criticized Cuba, describing it as a “failed state” and blaming its leadership for decades of economic hardship. Trump suggested that Cuba could soon become a central topic in U.S. policy discussions.

Trump added that the U.S. wants to help the Cuban people and those who have migrated from Cuba to live in America, signaling potential future engagement on Cuban issues.

England’s batting lineup, which struggled in the first three Tests of the ongoing Ashes series, showed renewed form in the fourth match and carried that momentum into the final Test in Sydney. At the time of reporting, Joe Root and Harry Brook were guiding England toward a strong total, remaining unbeaten with scores of 72 and 78 respectively. England reached 211 for 3 in 45 overs before rain interrupted play at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Earlier, England’s top order faltered again as Zak Crawley (16), Ben Duckett (27), and Jacob Bethell (10) failed to build substantial innings against Australia’s pace attack. Root and Brook then steadied the innings with composed yet aggressive batting, both reaching half-centuries and moving toward centuries.

For Australia, Mitchell Starc, Michael Neser, and Scott Boland each claimed one wicket. The match situation suggests England are in a strong position to post a large first-innings total once play resumes.

Large-scale protests took place across major US cities including Washington DC, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles against President Donald Trump’s military operation in Venezuela and the reported abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Demonstrators carried Venezuelan flags and chanted slogans opposing the military action, braving freezing temperatures and rain to express their dissent.

Protesters held placards reading “No war against Venezuela” and “Hands off Latin America.” In Los Angeles, a Party for Socialism and Liberation organizer named Cameron criticized US motives, saying the country prioritizes profit over people. The Chicago-based Anti-War Committee stated that they oppose the use of public funds to fuel imperialist wars and reject any attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty.

The protests reflect growing domestic opposition to US military involvement in Latin America, with participants demanding an end to interventionist policies and respect for Venezuela’s independence.

New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has sharply criticized the United States for detaining Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and bringing him to New York. According to Mamdani, the US operation in Venezuela amounts to an act of war and violates both international and federal law. The statement was reported by CNN.

Mamdani said he had been informed about the operation and Maduro’s detention. He described the unilateral action against a sovereign nation as a clear attempt at regime change that affects not only people abroad but also New Yorkers, including thousands of Venezuelan immigrants who consider the city their home. He emphasized that his administration’s main priority is ensuring the safety of all New Yorkers, including members of the Venezuelan community.

The mayor added that his administration will closely monitor the situation and provide necessary guidance. The report noted that the number of Venezuelan immigrants in New York City has significantly increased over the past three years, with many settling permanently in the city.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrived in the United States on Saturday, landing at Stewart Air National Guard Base, about 70 kilometers from New York City. According to reports, the plane carrying Maduro landed around 5 p.m. Eastern Time. After landing, he was transported by helicopter to Manhattan’s West Side Heliport and then to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters for initial legal processing. Authorities plan to transfer him to a detention facility in Brooklyn following the court procedures.

U.S. media footage showed FBI officers positioned near the aircraft door as Maduro, wearing a blue jacket and partially covering his face, was escorted down the stairs by American officials. He was surrounded by members of the FBI and DEA. Reports indicate that preparations are underway to present him before a federal court in Manhattan on charges related to drug and arms trafficking.

The Brooklyn detention center where Maduro is expected to be held is known for housing high-profile inmates, including R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean “Diddy” Combs. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed responsibility for Maduro’s capture in Venezuela and released a photo of him in custody.

The United States, under President Donald Trump’s administration, carried out military attacks in seven countries during 2025, according to conflict monitoring group ACLED. The operations included drone and airstrikes totaling 622 incidents since Trump took office in January 2025. The latest assault occurred in Venezuela, where U.S. forces reportedly detained President Nicolás Maduro following coordinated explosions in Caracas. Earlier, the U.S. had targeted Venezuelan naval vessels in September, citing drug trafficking allegations.

The report details U.S. strikes in six Muslim-majority nations—Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Iraq—alongside Venezuela. In Nigeria, attacks on December 25 targeted alleged ISIS-linked groups; in Somalia, at least 111 strikes were recorded; and in Syria, 70 ISIS sites were bombed in December. The U.S. also struck Iranian nuclear facilities in June, conducted daily raids in Yemen under “Rough Rider,” and killed an ISIS leader in Iraq in March.

Analysts noted that these actions contradict Trump’s campaign promise to end U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts, despite his self-portrayal as a peace advocate.

The United States launched an attack on Venezuela on Saturday after several days of warnings from President Donald Trump. The assault reportedly targeted Venezuelan boats described as drug-laden vessels. Despite this military action, Trump continues to present himself as a messenger of peace and has claimed he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for halting wars in 2025. The incident raises questions about the consistency of his campaign promises and his current foreign policy direction.

During his first presidential campaign, Trump pledged to put 'America First' and end U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts, gaining strong support from Americans in the Middle East. In a past debate, he criticized the Bush administration for the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and called the Iraq War a major mistake. At the start of his second term in January 2025, Trump promised to end global conflicts and restore peace, saying his success would be measured not only by wars won or ended but also by those avoided.

Sarang Shidore of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft said Trump has played a role in halting some conflicts but lacks the subtle, sustained diplomacy needed for global peace. He noted that U.S. actions in Latin America, Nigeria, and Somalia reflect a return to aggressive interventionism driven by domestic political motives.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. According to Bondi, the charges against Maduro include narcoterrorism, cocaine importation, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such devices against the United States. She stated that the couple will soon face American justice in a US court, though she did not specify the charges against Maduro’s wife.

Bondi expressed gratitude to the US military, crediting them for conducting what she described as an incredible and highly successful operation to capture the two accused international drug traffickers. The announcement was reported by BBC and repeated across multiple statements in the source.

The indictment marks a significant legal escalation against Venezuela’s leadership, though details about the timing of court proceedings or the specific evidence presented were not disclosed in the report.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will be tried in the United States. The statement followed confirmation from Senator Mike Lee, who said he had spoken with Rubio by phone regarding Maduro’s detention. Earlier, US President Donald Trump claimed that Maduro and his wife had been arrested following a large-scale US military operation in Venezuela.

According to a BBC report cited in the source, Senator Lee said Rubio did not expect further action in Venezuela now that Maduro was in US custody. Lee added that the US attacks were carried out to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrants. However, he also expressed concern on social media about the constitutional justification for such actions without a formal declaration of war or authorization for military force.

Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that the operation was conducted with the cooperation of US law enforcement agencies and that more details would be released later.

The United States launched a military attack on Venezuela, with President Donald Trump claiming the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Shortly after the assault began, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona denounced the action on social media platform X, calling it an illegal and unjustified war. Gallego, a former US Navy serviceman who served in Iraq from 2002 to 2006, described it as the second unjust war of his life.

Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah also questioned the legality of the operation, writing on X that he was eager to understand how the move could be constitutionally justified without a formal declaration of war or congressional authorization for the use of military force. In recent months, several Democratic and Republican lawmakers have voiced opposition to the Trump administration’s military actions in Latin America.

The bipartisan criticism highlights growing unease in Congress over unilateral military interventions in the region, suggesting potential challenges ahead for the administration’s foreign policy approach.

On January 1, 2026, Zohraan Mamdani was sworn in as the new mayor of New York City in a special ceremony. Immediately after taking office, he signed an executive order canceling several directives issued by former mayor Eric Adams, including measures supporting Israel. According to the order, all directives signed on or after September 26, 2024, and effective through December 31, 2025, have been revoked, while earlier executive orders will remain in force until amended or withdrawn.

This decision effectively nullifies several of Adams’s policies, including one that prohibited New York City agencies from boycotting or disengaging from Israel. However, the Office for Combating Anti-Semitism, established under the previous administration, will continue to operate.

Following the announcement, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Mamdani on social media of inciting anti-Semitism, marking an early diplomatic tension in his tenure.

Australian captain Steve Smith has said that teammate Usman Khawaja faced unfair treatment during his international cricket career. The 39-year-old left-handed batter is set to retire after the Sydney Test, which will be his final match in the ongoing Ashes series. Smith voiced his support for Khawaja, noting that the player had been dropped from the national team multiple times, including eight occasions in his Test career and again during the current Ashes.

Smith refrained from commenting directly on Khawaja’s criticisms but described some of the claims against him, such as being injured while playing golf before a match, as unjust. He praised Khawaja’s 15-year career and his consistent improvement over time. Smith recalled that Khawaja had also been dropped during the 2017 series against India but used that setback to refine his playing techniques.

Smith concluded by calling Khawaja an exceptional talent whose development over the years had been remarkable, highlighting their early days playing together in New South Wales youth cricket.

At the official swearing-in ceremony of New York’s new mayor, Zohra Mamdani, congressional representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on New Yorkers to celebrate the event as their own victory. Speaking at City Hall, she praised residents for choosing courageous and historic leadership during uncertain times, emphasizing that they opted for collective prosperity over fear and inequality.

Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic representative from New York’s 14th Congressional District, had endorsed Mamdani in June 2025 and actively mobilized voters in the months leading up to the election. She previously told a rally of 13,000 people in Queens that Mamdani’s victory would send a clear message rejecting authoritarianism. During the inauguration, she congratulated citizens for electing a mayor committed to building a hopeful future for working people.

Echoing Mamdani’s campaign promises, Ocasio-Cortez praised plans for universal childcare, affordable housing, and accessible public transport. She described the city’s choice as a rejection of division and extreme inequality, expressing confidence that New York’s example could inspire broader change.

U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited debate about his age and health after claiming in a lengthy interview that he is in 'perfect' condition. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Trump said he takes more aspirin than doctors recommend, uses makeup to cover hand injuries, and avoids regular exercise because he finds it boring. He also clarified that he underwent a CT scan in October, not an MRI as he had previously told reporters.

At 79, Trump is the oldest president in U.S. history, and reports suggest he has shown signs of aging, including dozing off during meetings and occasionally missing questions. The Journal reported that Trump expressed irritation over public discussions about his health.

Trump said he has taken 325 milligrams of aspirin daily for 25 years, despite doctors advising 81 milligrams. He explained that he does not want to change his routine due to superstition and prefers golf as his only form of exercise.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal citing US intelligence sources, American officials have stated that there is no evidence Ukraine attempted to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin or his residence. The CIA’s assessment indicates that Ukraine did not target Putin or any of his residences in the recent drone incident. Officials clarified that Ukraine’s intended target was a military site located in the same region as Putin’s residence but not near it.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia has failed to provide credible evidence supporting its claim of a Ukrainian drone strike on the president’s residence in the Novgorod region. Former US President Donald Trump also dismissed the Russian claim in a social media post linking to a New York Post editorial that criticized Putin’s reaction to the alleged attack. Trump later said he believed the attack might not have occurred after speaking with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky denied the allegation, arguing that such claims undermine Ukraine’s diplomatic progress with Trump’s team and could be used to justify further Russian aggression.