The US has launched a significant military operation resulting in **Venezuelan leader Maduro lands in New York after capture by US troops – live, with President Trump asserting the US will Trump Long Wanted to ‘Take the Oil.’ He Says He’ll Do It in Venezuela. and run the country, prompting global outcry and questions about the legality of Trump Did Not Seek Congressional Authorization to Capture Maduro**.

• Venezuelan leader Maduro lands in New York after capture by US troops – live — The Guardian -
• Trump Long Wanted to ‘Take the Oil.’ He Says He’ll Do It in Venezuela. — New York Times World -
• Venezuela Live Updates: Maduro Arrives in N.Y.; Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Run’ Venezuela — New York Times World -

• Venezuelans in South Florida Celebrate Maduro’s Capture — New York Times World -
• Nicolás Maduro arrives in New York after removal as Venezuelan president — The Guardian -
• How Manhattan Federal Court Would Handle the Trial of a President — New York Times World -
• What we know about Maduro's capture and US plan to 'run' Venezuela — BBC World -
• Who Is Cilia Flores, Maduro’s Wife, and Why Was She Captured Alongside Him? — New York Times World -
• Here’s the latest. — New York Times World -
• How Democrats Are Hitting Trump Over Nicolás Maduro’s Ouster — New York Times World -
• Trump administration declines to back Venezuela’s opposition leader. — New York Times World -
• Zohran Mamdani Called President Trump to Criticize Venezuela Strikes — New York Times World -
• With the President Gone, Venezuelans Race to Stock Up on Food — New York Times World -
• Venezuela’s Interim Leader Defies Trump and Calls Maduro the ‘Only President’ — New York Times World -
• Trump Shares Photo of Captured Nicolás Maduro, Blindfolded and Handcuffed — New York Times World -
• Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s new leader, boasts leftist credentials — New York Times World -
• World Leaders React With Shock and Skepticism After U.S. Captures Maduro — New York Times World -
• Before Nicolás Maduro, There Was Manuel Noriega — New York Times World -
• What We Know About the U.S. Operation in Venezuela and Maduro’s Capture — New York Times World -
• Airlines Are Canceling Flights After U.S. Closes Airspace Over the Caribbean — New York Times World -
• Trump's toppling of Maduro is fraught with risk - what happens next is unclear — BBC World -
• Trump Shares an Image of Maduro Blindfolded and Handcuffed — New York Times World -
• Venezuela broadcasts messages of resistance from Maduro loyalists after the U.S. attack. — New York Times World -
• The ‘Putinization’ of US foreign policy has arrived in Venezuela — The Guardian -
• ‘It’s impossible not to feel relief’: UK Venezuelans on Maduro’s capture — The Guardian -
• ‘It sends a horrible signal’: US politicians react to capture of Nicolás Maduro — The Guardian -
• Why has Trump attacked Venezuela and taken Maduro? — BBC World -
• Venezuela attack: what we know so far as US captures President Maduro — The Guardian -
• Trump on Venezuela: 'We are going to run the country' — BBC World -
• What we know about Maduro's capture — BBC World -
• Maduro and His Wife Face a Fresh Indictment in Manhattan — New York Times World -
• A Timeline of Rising Tension Between the U.S. and Venezuela — New York Times World -
• Britain not involved in US Venezuela attack, says Keir Starmer — The Guardian -
• Vance Justifies Capture as Bringing Maduro to Justice — New York Times World -
• ‘Everything is silent’: Caracas on edge in aftermath of US blitz — The Guardian -
• How Tensions Escalated Between the U.S. and Venezuela — New York Times World -
• C.I.A. Source Inside Venezuelan Government Helped Track Maduro — New York Times World -
• Trump Did Not Seek Congressional Authorization to Capture Maduro — New York Times World -
• Maduro’s Inner Circle Appears to Survive U.S. Strikes on Venezuela — New York Times World -
• Why has US attacked Caracas and captured Venezuela’s president? — The Guardian -
• Trump Celebrates Capture of Nicolas Maduro in New York Times Phone Interview — New York Times World -
• Explosions and smoke at La Guaira port — BBC World -
• Bondi says Maduro and his wife to face a fresh indictment in Manhattan. — New York Times World -
• US has captured Venezuela’s President Maduro and wife, says Trump — The Guardian -
• An Operation in Venezuela — New York Times World -
• Trump Celebrates Capture of Nicolas Maduro in New York Times Phone Interview — New York Times World -
• Reporter in Caracas describes hearing loud bangs and planes — BBC World -
• The U.S. Has Been Building Up Forces Off Venezuela for Months — New York Times World -
• Explosions Reported in Venezuela’s Capital — New York Times World -

A devastating New Year’s Day blaze in Switzerland, where **Swiss Authorities Say Sparklers Probably Caused New Year’s Fire, has resulted in 40 deaths and ongoing investigations with Swiss open criminal case against managers of ski resort bar after deadly fire, leaving families of missing teens enduring 'Living a nightmare': Families of teens missing after ski resort fire desperate for news**.

• There Was Probably a Flashover in the Swiss Bar Fire. Here’s What That Means. — New York Times World -
• Swiss open criminal case against managers of ski resort bar after deadly fire — BBC World -
• Managers of Swiss Bar Are Suspected of Negligence in Deadly Fire, Police Say — New York Times World -

• An ‘Avoidable Tragedy’: The Hazards That Led to the Swiss Fire Disaster — New York Times World -
• Swiss prosecutors place bar managers under investigation after deadly fire — The Guardian -
• Swiss Authorities Say Sparklers Probably Caused New Year’s Fire — New York Times World -
• 'Living a nightmare': Families of teens missing after ski resort fire desperate for news — BBC World -
• Swiss Bar Fire Likely Caused By Sparklers, Authorities Say — New York Times World -

Geopolitical tensions persist with British and French aircraft attack underground Islamic State weapons store in Syria, continued protests in Iran over the ailing economy and currency crisis, Saudi Arabia calling for **Yemen’s southern factions to attend 'dialogue' in Riyadh, and humanitarian concerns about Tents supplied to displaced Palestinians ‘inadequate for Gaza winter’**.

• Trump warning over Iran protests 'reckless' says foreign minister — BBC World -
• British and French aircraft attack underground Islamic State weapons store in Syria — The Guardian -
• What to Know About the Protests in Iran — New York Times World -

• ‘No future for us’: disaffected Iranians say it’s now or never to topple regime — The Guardian -
• Tents supplied to displaced Palestinians ‘inadequate for Gaza winter’ — The Guardian -
• Saudi Arabia calls for Yemeni factions to attend 'dialogue' in Riyadh — BBC World -
• Saudi invites Yemen’s southern factions to ‘dialogue’ in Riyadh after surprise independence bid — The Guardian -

Key social and political discussions in the UK include Reform UK proposing whole-life jail terms on child rapists, a significant rise in out-of-control porn use reported by therapists, and growing numbers of over-60s facing homelessness, alongside Labour battling **how rogue peers became Labour’s toughest opponents**.

• Reform UK says it would impose whole-life jail terms on child rapists — The Guardian -
• More than half of UK therapists report rise in out-of-control porn use — The Guardian -
• ‘I’d try to hide it as best I could’: a UK man on his struggle with porn addiction — The Guardian -

• Growing numbers of over-60s facing homelessness, charities warn — The Guardian -
• ‘We will grind you down’: how rogue peers became Labour’s toughest opponents — The Guardian -
• ‘Sunshine Saturday’: UK firms expect 5% January rise in holiday bookings — The Guardian -

Australia reports a missing worker found dead after roof collapse deep underground at Queensland coalmine, union calls for **end to tax breaks that make Australian housing ‘a vehicle for hoarding wealth’, and heightened security including police to carry long-arm rifles at final Ashes Test in Sydney after recent attacks, while a new parliamentary inquiry faces accusations of rushing proposals like banning phrases such as ‘globalise the intifada’ over the holidays**.

• Missing worker found dead after roof collapse deep underground at Queensland coalmine — The Guardian -
• Union calls for end to tax breaks that make Australian housing ‘a vehicle for hoarding wealth’ — The Guardian -
• ‘Ten more years’: Helen Wilding, the artist sketching the whole of Melbourne’s Brunswick Street — The Guardian -

• Second body recovered from sea off Withernsea as search resumes for third person — The Guardian -
• NSW Labor accused of rushing inquiry into banning phrases such as ‘globalise the intifada’ over the holidays — The Guardian -
• Young man killed in apparent targeted drive-by shooting near police station in Melbourne’s inner north — The Guardian -
• Police to carry long-arm rifles at final Ashes Test in Sydney amid heightened security after Bondi attack — The Guardian -

In Ukraine, a missile attack on Kharkiv kills two including child, President Zelensky names Kyrylo Budanov as New Chief of Staff, and discussions continue on Why Security Guarantees Are So Crucial, and Thorny, for Ukraine as peace remains elusive.

• Why Security Guarantees Are So Crucial, and Thorny, for Ukraine — New York Times World -
• Ukraine’s Zelensky Names Kyrylo Budanov as New Chief of Staff — New York Times World -
• New year, new deal? Why peace still feels elusive for Ukraine — The Guardian -

• Missile attack on Kharkiv kills two including child, authorities say — BBC World -

Significant global incidents include Two people killed in magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Mexico, over 100 shelter overnight in Japan shrine due to heavy snow, a major Denver blaze requiring over 100 firefighters, and a Berlin power outage hitting 45,000 homes after a suspected arson attack.

• Berlin power outage hits 45,000 homes after suspected arson attack — The Guardian -
• More than 100 shelter overnight in Japan shrine due to heavy snow — BBC World -
• Two people killed in magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Mexico — BBC World -

• Watch: Over 100 firefighters on the scene of Denver blaze — BBC World -

Trends in technology and business reveal How UK plush toy Jellycat conquered China, the faltering Tesla diner in Los Angeles, Reddit overtaking TikTok in UK usage, and Canada's micro-condos are losing their appeal amid a market crash.

• How UK plush toy Jellycat conquered China — BBC World -
• What happened after Tesla opened a diner in Los Angeles? — The Guardian -
• Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z — The Guardian -

• 'Somewhere to put worker bees': Why Canada's micro-condos are losing their appeal — BBC World -

Diverse human interest stories include the passing of Craig the beer-ambassador elephant dies aged 54 and Annette, the last Dionne quintuplet, a look at The Year in Neanderthal Discoveries, the impact of angry men dominated Bollywood, and the death of Former Labour MP and defence minister Sir Patrick Duffy dies aged 105.

• Former Labour MP and defence minister Sir Patrick Duffy dies aged 105 — The Guardian -
• Craig the beer-ambassador elephant dies aged 54 — BBC World -
• A Story of Extraordinary Celebrity and Terrible Exploitation Ends — New York Times World -

• The Year in Neanderthal Discoveries — New York Times World -
• The year angry men dominated Bollywood - and what it means for India — BBC World -

Domestically, the US is seeing a spike in flu cases in December, while recent **Epstein disclosures raise key question: why wasn’t he stopped earlier?**, highlighting failures in accountability.

• US sees spike in flu cases in December, after most severe season since 2018 — The Guardian -
• Epstein disclosures raise key question: why wasn’t he stopped earlier? — The Guardian -