Politics

US forces detained Venezuela's president, who is reported held in the United States pending an initial hearing; a social media post depicting Greenland under a US flag prompted Danish and Greenland officials to publicly reaffirm the territory's integrity and to strengthen Arctic security.

Officials reported a shooting involving federal law enforcement near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue in Minneapolis, and the Department of Homeland Security had recently launched a large immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities area.

Julianna Peña, a former UFC champion nicknamed the 'Venezuelan Vixen', praised the US after it announced the capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and described critics as 'liberal snowflakes'.

Security forces used teargas and removed sit-in protesters at Tehran's grand bazaar as nationwide demonstrations continued; rights groups reported dozens killed and over 1,000 arrests. President Masoud Pezeshkian announced an investigation into alleged security-force violence in Ilam province.

House Democrats will hold an unofficial January 6 forum marking the fifth anniversary to examine ongoing threats to free and fair elections and to review pardons issued to people charged in the 2021 Capitol attack.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Sir David Amess's family the government will carry out an independent review into state failings before his 2021 murder, and officials said the work is being pursued "at pace" though no reviewer has yet been appointed.

David Wolfson has recused himself from advising Kemi Badenoch on Ukraine and Russia because he is representing Roman Abramovich in a legal case; the Conservatives said other shadow ministers can provide legal advice.

The White House says officials are actively discussing a possible U.S. purchase of Greenland, and President Trump said the United States will continue to support NATO.

Millions of people marked Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7 as churches that follow the Julian calendar observed the Feast of the Nativity, while other Orthodox traditions celebrate on Dec. 25 or, in the Armenian tradition, on Jan. 6.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro sharply criticized the U.S. capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro while Bogotá says it will continue security cooperation with Washington and has convened emergency meetings at the U.N. and O.A.S.

US authorities say an ICE officer in Minneapolis shot and killed a woman who allegedly tried to ram officers; the Department of Homeland Security described the act as "domestic terrorism" and injured ICE officers are expected to make full recoveries.

India's Enforcement Directorate says it searched activist Harjeet Singh's home and is investigating alleged foreign funds paid to promote a fossil fuel non‑proliferation treaty; Singh was arrested and later released on bail while the inquiry continues.

The Texas Supreme Court finalized a plan to stop relying on the American Bar Association for law school accreditation and will keep its own list of approved schools whose graduates may practice in Texas. The court said it will apply simple, objective and ideologically neutral criteria and aims to preserve degree portability.

The UK provided surveillance and naval support to a US operation that seized the Russian‑flagged tanker Marinera (formerly Bella‑1), the Ministry of Defence said. An emergency Commons statement is expected and the defence secretary will update MPs.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's office paid $31,439 to former aide LaMar Cook under a contract buyout, then said the payment was made in error and is seeking to recover it while legal proceedings and an investigation continue.

Ukrainian officials said Russia struck the Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi seaports in Odesa region, killing one person and injuring eight. Officials reported damage to port facilities and storage but said the ports continued operating while crews cleared the damage.

The US has warned Venezuela's interior minister Diosdado Cabello he could face prosecution or other consequences if he resists U.S. demands, and U.S. officials say he oversees security forces that a UN report accused of serious human rights abuses.

Derby City Council found two hotels used for asylum accommodation amounted to a material change of use but decided not to take enforcement action, citing proportionality and recent High Court guidance from the Epping case.

Ireland's foreign minister said the government is monitoring a Venezuela-linked oil tanker that was reported near its exclusive economic zone, and the US has said it seized the vessel with British assistance.

Fiona Hill said Russian officials in 2019 indicated they might trade backing off Nicolás Maduro for a freer hand in Ukraine, and that her 2019 testimony resurfaced after a recent U.S. operation to remove Maduro.

Russia said the U.S. boarded the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera near Iceland and called the action a violation of maritime law; U.S. officials said the Coast Guard and U.S. military carried out the boarding and reported no confrontation with Russian forces.

A judge has erased the sentence of Charles Andrew ‘Andy’ Williams, who killed two students in 2001, and ruled he can be resentenced in juvenile court because he was 15 at the time of the crime.

Germany's average number of unemployed rose by 161,000 to 2.948 million in 2025, the highest annual total since 2013. The labour office said 2026 will remain challenging and that any easing is unlikely before mid-year.

A judge ordered Lindsey Halligan to explain why she continues to identify as the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after another judge ruled her appointment unlawful; she has seven days to file a written explanation.

A Russian senator, Dmitry Rogozin, called Prime Minister Keir Starmer 'illiterate' and 'a fool' after Starmer signed a Paris declaration outlining possible British troop deployments to Ukraine; Starmer said any deployment would be subject to a parliamentary vote.

North Yorkshire Council introduced a 100% council tax premium on second homes from April 2025, and the first project named to receive funding is a planned 15-home development south of Sands Lane in Hunmanby, with a reported £435,000 allocation if planning permission is granted.

US officials announced the seizure of a Venezuela-linked, sanctioned oil tanker in the North Atlantic, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the blockade of Venezuelan oil remains in full effect worldwide.

Anicet Georges Dologuélé rejected provisional presidential results, alleging manipulation, while provisional tallies give President Faustin Archange Touadéra about 76.1% of the vote; final results are due Jan. 20.

MPs say the Ministry of Justice is paying about £4m a year to lease HMP Dartmoor while it remains closed for radon contamination, and an additional £68m of improvement costs are expected over the first decade of the lease.

After US forces transferred Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, they appeared in Manhattan federal court and pleaded not guilty; the jail has a history of complaints about its conditions.