Venezuela's Maduro due in NYC court

Reuters Daily Briefing <dailybriefing@thomsonreuters.com>
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2026-01-05 13:02

Daily Briefing

By Claire Beers

Venezuela's deposed leader Nicolas Maduro is due in a New York court to face drug charges, the legality of the US capture of Maduro is in focus at the United Nations , and Greenland says 'no more fantasies about annexation' after Trump remarks.

Plus, have a spare $3.24 million for some tuna?

Today's Top News

Venezuela's captured President Nicolas Maduro poses next to US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrator Terry Cole.. Handout via REUTERS

Venezuela

Venezuela's deposed leader, Nicolas Maduro, is set to appear in a Manhattan federal court today to face narco-terrorism charges. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been jailed in Brooklyn after US forces seized them from Caracas in a surprise weekend raid. The Reuters World News podcast explains what to expect from the court process, with questions remaining over the former leader's legal representation.
Planning for the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been in the works for months and included detailed rehearsals. We take you behind the scenes.
China's top diplomat accused the US of acting like a "world judge" by arresting Venezuela's leader. Beijing is set to confront Washington at the United Nations over the move's legality.
The legality of the capture of Maduro will be under the spotlight at the UN today, but Washington is unlikely to face strong criticism from allies over its military operation.

In other news

Greenland's leader declared "enough is enough," and Denmark's allies in Europe affirmed that the Arctic island's future must be determined by its people, rebuffing renewed remarks by US President Donald Trump about acquiring the vast territory.
An overnight Russian air attack on Kyiv and its region killed two people, Ukraine’s authorities said, in what appeared to be the first reported deaths in Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital this year.
Pressure is building for answers from the investigation into a New Year's Eve bar fire in a Swiss ski resort that killed 40 people, after authorities said they had now identified all the victims, most of whom were teenagers.
At least 16 people have been killed during a week of unrest in Iran, rights groups said, as protests over soaring inflation spread across the country, sparking violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces.
A Paris court found ten people guilty for the cyber harassment of France's first lady, Brigitte Macron, in the latest legal action sparked by false claims that she is a transgender woman who was born a man.

Business & Markets

Data is the STOXX Europe Total Market Aerospace and Defence Index. LSEG Workspace/Adam Jourdan

European stocks traded firmer, extending their early‑year gains as investors bought defense stocks after US military strikes on Venezuela stirred fresh geopolitical concerns.
Markets may have shrugged off the capture of Maduro, but some investors warn that geopolitical risks are perhaps being underestimated after Donald Trump threatened further action in the Americas.
Oil prices slipped as ample global supplies offset concerns about the impact on oil flows from the US capture of Maduro of Venezuela, home of the biggest global oil reserves.
While Venezuela’s reserves are vast, reviving production is a long-term challenge. Infrastructure decay and political uncertainty mean growth will be slow. Reuters Morning Bid has more.
Global stock markets, riding high on AI euphoria at the start of 2026 may be disregarding one of the biggest threats that could spoil the party: a surge in inflation driven partly by the tech investment boom.
Denmark's Novo Nordisk will offer its 1..5 and 4 milligram Wegovy weight-loss pills at $149 per month to self-paying patients in the United States from January 5.
Samsung Electronics plans to double this year the number of its mobile devices with "Galaxy AI" features largely powered by Google's Gemini, its co-CEO said, which would give the US firm an edge over rivals as the global race in artificial intelligence heats up.

US abortion pill access under fire: Lawsuits and regulatory battles to watch in 2026

Activists demonstrate after the US Supreme Court cleared the way for South Carolina to strip Planned Parenthood of funding. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Since the US Supreme Court rolled back the constitutional right to abortion in 2022 and about half of US states banned or significantly restricted the procedure, medication abortion has become more prevalent and is now used in more than 60% of US abortions.

That has led to a backlash from Republicans and conservative groups, including a series of lawsuits attempting to restrict access to the abortion drug mifepristone that could come to a head this year.

Read more

And Finally...

Kiyoshi Kimura poses with a bluefin tuna auctioned for a record $3.24 million at the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

A Japanese sushi restaurant bid $3.24 million for a single bluefin tuna, by far the highest-ever price paid at the annual New Year auction at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market. Weighing 536 pounds, the prized catch went to Kiyomura Corp, the Tokyo-based operator of popular sushi restaurant chain Sushizanmai.

Read more

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