Trump Hints at First U.S. Strike Inside Venezuela

Trump described hitting “a big plant or a big facility” associated with drug trafficking operations.

“Two nights ago we knocked that out.”

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Zelensky says he asked Trump for security guarantees up to 50 years, adding that the plan envisages U.S. security guarantees for 15 years.

Zelensky:

I told Trump that we would very much like to consider the possibility of 30, 40, 50 years. And that would then be a historic decision by President Trump.

The President said that he would think about it.

Three Turkish police officers were killed, eight police officers and one security guard were wounded during an operation against ISIS cell in Türkiye’s Yalova.

Five women and six children were safely evacuated.

Six terrorists were killed in the clash.

Zelensky:

Martial law will end when Ukraine has security guarantees that include monitoring and the presence of partners.

Iran’s rial is at record lows.

The dollar trades around 1.43–1.45 million rials, after a single-day drop of over 7% on Dec 28.

Drivers include renewed U.S. sanctions, inflation above 50%, weak dollar inflows, and policy uncertainty.

Bazaar protests erupted in Tehran as volatility persists, despite an official rate near 42,000 rials.

Turkish police repeatedly tried to get children out safely as ISIS terrorists used them as human shields during the operation:

“Send the child. We don’t kill children. It’s a holy day, let no one’s nose bleed.”

Kremlin:

A new phone call between Putin and Trump will take place “in the very near future.”

Kremlin:

Kyiv must withdraw the Ukrainian Armed Forces beyond the administrative borders of Donbas in order to stop the fighting.

Europe is losing pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity as production and investment shift to the US, China, and India, threatening “the last vestiges of European health sovereignty.”

Since the 2000s, cost pressures pushed firms to relocate, leading to “a largely unnoticed wave of deindustrialization” and fragmented supply chains.

Today, “80% of the active ingredients in medicines consumed on the continent now come from India or China,” leaving Europe dependent on foreign suppliers, especially for antibiotics.

Massive US investment and Chinese industrial policy risk accelerating Europe’s decline unless coordinated EU action restores competitiveness.

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Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK and former armed forces chief, plans to resign in early January 2026 and return to Kyiv.

He reportedly informed Zelensky weeks ago; an announcement could come Jan 4–5.

Source: Ukrainian outlet NV

Japan Faces Record Birth Collapse in 2025

Japan is on track to register its lowest number of births since records began in 1899.

Population fell by 900,000 in 2024.

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Saudi Arabia Cracks Down on Cost-of-Living Critics

Cybercrime law allows up to 5 years in prison.

Public anger intensified after tycoon Yazeed al-Rajhi, a cousin of the human resources minister, posted a video from a private jet criticizing dissent.

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Somalia: The army says it killed 15 Al-Shabaab members, including three senior operatives, in a security operation near Hudur in Bakool.

Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgic could receive a share-based payout exceeding £100 million after the company’s dramatic turnaround.

Rolls-Royce’s market capitalization expanded from under £8 billion to more than £95 billion by the end of 2025.

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Somali President to Visit Türkiye Amid Somaliland Tensions

The Somali President will visit Türkiye tomorrow to discuss tensions after Israel recognized Somaliland and to advance Turkish energy and security cooperation with Somalia.

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DR Congo: At least 20 people were killed in clashes between the FARDC and the Mobondo in Kwilu province, including five soldiers and 15 militiamen.