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U.S. officials reported that American forces captured Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro. Regional leaders issued strong reactions and further actions are undetermined at this time.

Oil prices fell toward about $60 a barrel as markets assessed the reported capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by US forces and OPEC+ said it would pause planned supply hikes in the first quarter amid a global glut.

Asia's equity markets raised $262.7 billion in 2025, and Hong Kong listings may raise as much as $45 billion in 2026, according to reported estimates.

Oil futures fell less than 1% in early New York trading, dipping below $57 a barrel, while Brent also traded lower; U.S. stock futures edged up and S&P 500 contracts gained about 0.1%.

Chartdata announced that Taylor Swift was the best-selling artist in the U.S. in 2025 with 14.1 million total album units sold, a notice that ran during the Chiefs-Raiders Week 18 matchup. The article also reports that Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, playing his 192nd career game, faces a possible retirement decision while his contract expires at the end of the 2025–26 season.

The article reports that the crypto market cap fell from about $3.5 trillion at the start of 2025 to just above $3 trillion by early 2026, and investor Anthony Di Pizio warns that both XRP and Shiba Inu could decline by 50% or more this year.

Venezuela has been in default since 2017 with about $60 billion in defaulted bonds and roughly $150–$170 billion in total external claims; creditors and arbitration award holders are pressing legal claims, with Citgo/PDV Holding central to recovery efforts.

Developers filed for a second preliminary injunction after a new 90-day stop work order from the Trump administration; a D.C. judge set a DOJ response deadline of Jan. 8 and an in-person hearing for Jan. 12.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Delcy Rodríguez, sworn in after Nicolas Maduro's removal, is not Venezuela's legitimate leader and that the U.S. will use an oil quarantine as leverage.

The government plans to raise fixed penalties for driving without insurance from £300 to about £600—above the average premium of £551—and will set out the proposal in a forthcoming Road Safety Strategy that also considers other motoring measures.

The White House ordered HieFo to divest and unwind its purchase of Emcore chip assets, saying the buyer was controlled by a Chinese citizen.

OPEC+ said on January 4 it will keep oil output consistent, upholding a November 2025 agreement to pause production increases through January–March; oil prices fell more than 18% in 2025.

The 10-year Treasury yield rose to about 4.20% as markets priced in higher rates into early 2026, while the article mentions Tesla reported roughly 418,000 fourth-quarter deliveries, down about 16% year-over-year.

The ministry said 95-octane gasoline in Gauteng will fall about 3% to 20.75 rand per liter from Jan. 7 after global crude prices eased and the rand strengthened more than 3% in December.

In 2025 the U.S. recorded solid GDP growth even as hiring slowed and unemployment rose, and a six-week government shutdown disrupted economic data collection.

Several explosions and plumes of smoke were reported across Caracas early on Jan. 3; officials have not issued confirmed statements and the cause remains unverified.

Jarmo Kekäläinen was named Buffalo's general manager on Dec. 15 and will face his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, as the Sabres carry a 10-game winning streak into Saturday's game.

As of Jan. 2 the IRS had not announced an official 2026 "go live" date; the agency began accepting returns on Jan. 27 in 2025 and tax professionals expect an announcement in January.

Berkshire Hathaway holds a record $382 billion in cash as Warren Buffett retired and Greg Abel became CEO; the company has not announced any direct investments in cryptocurrencies.

December PMI readings showed narrow manufacturing expansion in parts of Asia, with Taiwan at 50.9 and South Korea at 50.1, while firms reported rising input costs and some material shortages.

Venezuela's government accused the United States of carrying out strikes on Caracas and said both military and civilian areas were hit; explosions were heard around the capital.

The article reports the Chancellor's November Budget included about £26bn of tax rises and that the Bank of England recently cut interest rates to 3.75%, facts analysts say could weigh on the pound in 2026.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said New York City will intervene in the Pinnacle Group’s bankruptcy to protect tenants as more than 5,000 rent‑stabilized units face an auction and residents report long-standing disrepair.

Southern separatists have called for a path to independence while the internationally recognised government says it launched an operation, with Saudi support, to recapture the Hadramout province.

Iran's decision to keep its uranium-enrichment program has stalled talks with the West and coincided with a sharp fall in the rial and renewed public protests.

U.K.-based Cirium named Mexico-based AeroMexico the world's most on-time airline in its 2025 On-Time Performance Review, reporting 90.02% of 188,859 flights completed on time and marking a second consecutive global win.

By law the H-1B program is capped at 85,000 new visas per fiscal year, and the EB-2 employment-based green card category receives about 40,000–43,000 allocations annually.

Front-month gold futures fell Friday after losing $220.40 an ounce this week, the largest weekly dollar drop on record, closing at $4,314.40.

The article notes that claiming Social Security before full retirement age typically lowers ongoing benefits and that you can rescind a claim within 12 months to undo those reductions, but rescinding requires repaying all benefits received.

A Prince George's County man who won $250,000 in 2018 collected a $50,000 Powerball prize at Maryland Lottery headquarters after matching four white balls in the Oct. 18 drawing.