The Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, has urged Donald Trump to wantonness his “illegal warmongering” and statesman “serious talks” pinch his management arsenic enigma continued to situation a purported pre-Christmas CIA airstrike connected nan South American country.
Speaking during an hour-long TV interview, Maduro declined to corroborate reports of nan evident US attack, which would beryllium nan first connected Venezuelan ungraded since Trump began his five-month run of subject unit successful August.
Maduro’s pre-recorded question and reply came aft Trump said connected Monday that nan US had deed a docking installation that served Venezuelan drug-trafficking boats past month. US media reports person claimed nan CIA was down nan drone strike.
If confirmed, nan first onslaught connected onshore would people a caller shape successful a campaign that has progressive nan deployment of a immense US naval fleet, airstrikes connected alleged supplier traffickers and a “total blockade” of sanctioned lipid tankers, nan seizure of 2 vessels and nan pursuit of a third.
Maduro urges Trump to wantonness ‘illegal warmongering’
Maduro rejected US claims justifying Trump’s run that he is nan caput of a “narco-terrorist” crime organisation flooding nan US pinch drugs. He said he believed Washington’s existent nonsubjective was to prehend power of Venezuelan resources including oil, golden and rare-earth metals.
“Since they can’t impeach maine aliases impeach Venezuela of having weapons of wide demolition … since they can’t impeach america of having atomic missiles … aliases chemic weapons … they person invented a declare that nan US knows is arsenic mendacious arsenic nan declare astir weapons of wide demolition that led them into a everlastingly war,” Maduro said. “I judge that we request to group each this speech and commencement superior talks.”
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Iran officials pass Trump of reddish statement aft his threat to ‘rescue’ protesters
Donald Trump has threatened to intervene successful Iran if its authorities kills demonstrators, prompting warnings from elder Iranian officials that immoderate American interference would transverse a “red line”.
In a societal media station connected Friday, Trump said that if Iran were to sprout and termination protesters, nan US would “come to their rescue”. He added: “We are locked and loaded, and fresh to go”, without explaining what that mightiness mean successful practice.
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US homeland information condemned for utilizing Japanese artist’s activity without consent
The US Department of Homeland Security is facing backlash erstwhile again, this clip from a Japanese creator who has condemned nan agency for utilizing his activity without support to beforehand deportations.
In a station connected X connected New Year’s Eve, DHS posted a photograph featuring a pristine and quiet formation pinch thenar trees and a vintage car. Written crossed nan photograph was “America aft 100 cardinal deportations”, on pinch a abstracted caption that said: “The bid of a federation nary longer besieged by nan 3rd world.”
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What other happened today:
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With astronauts group to alert astir nan satellite for nan first time successful more than half a century erstwhile Artemis 2 makes its long-awaited ascent immoderate clip this spring, 2026 was already destined to go a standout twelvemonth successful space. It is besides apt to beryllium 1 of nan astir pivotal, pinch new activity astatine Nasa successful billionaire backstage astronaut Jared Isaacman, and nan tycoon-led backstage abstraction manufacture assuming much than a specified supporting domiciled to thief triumph for nan US its race pinch China backmost to nan lunar surface.
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A caller procreation of young governmental leaders is gaining powerfulness successful nan US by utilizing their personal acquisition pinch weapon unit to push for reforms they opportunity nan US is fresh for.
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Israel’s overseas ministry has accused nan New York mayor, Zohran Mamdani, of pouring “antisemitic gasoline connected an unfastened fire” aft he reversed a caller bid by nan outgoing mayor, Eric Adams.
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The FBI said connected Friday that it thwarted an alleged plot to transportation retired a New Year’s Eve violent onslaught connected a market shop and edifice successful North Carolina successful support of nan Islamic State (IS).
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Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok posted connected Friday that lapses successful safeguards had led it to make “images depicting minors successful minimal clothing” connected societal media level X. The chatbot, a merchandise of Musk’s institution xAI, has been generating a activity of sexualized images passim nan week successful consequence to personification prompts.
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A Kentucky female is facing aggregate criminal charges aft she allegedly induced her ain abortion utilizing medication. Kentucky authorities constabulary arrested nan woman, Melinda S Spencer, 35, connected charges of fetal homicide successful nan first degree, maltreatment of a corpse and tampering pinch beingness evidence, according to a section Kentucky news outlet.
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A national magistrate judge has ruled that nan man accused of planting tube bombs extracurricular nan Democratic and Republican headquarters nan nighttime earlier nan 6 January Capitol attack must stay successful custody while awaiting trial.
Catching up? Here’s what happened connected 1 January 2026.
5 months ago