Overview
- U.S. agents transferred Nicolás Maduro to a high‑security detention center in Brooklyn after a military operation in Caracas, with President Donald Trump saying the U.S. will steer a transition and federal prosecutors preparing narcotics‑related charges.
- At least 40 people were reported killed in the Venezuela strikes, including civilians and military personnel, according to The New York Times citing a senior Venezuelan official.
- International reaction split, with China and Spain condemning a breach of international law, France and Germany urging a lawful, peaceful transition, and Canada backing a Venezuela‑led democratic process; the UN Security Council is set to convene on January 5.
- In Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for harsh measures against what he labeled ‘rebels’ as protests over economic collapse persisted, with reports of at least 12 deaths, hundreds detained, and nationwide internet traffic curtailed.
- Ukraine’s General Staff logged 154 combat engagements on January 4, with heavy Russian assaults near Pokrovsk and Huliaipole, while Kyiv classified a car explosion that wounded a serviceman as a terrorist act and opened an investigation.