January 5, 2026

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• The U.K. and France carried out joint airstrikes Saturday on an underground facility near Syria's historic town of Palmyra where members of the Islamic State group are suspected to have stored weapons and explosives. [more]
• Reports say the Saudi-backed National Shield Forces retook control of the port city of Mukalla in Yemen yesterday after UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council separatist forces withdrew from area military camps. [more]
• The Syrian government of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa held talks yesterday with leaders of the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces regarding the potential merger of the SDF with Syria's national army. State media reports that no tangible results came from the talks but that both sides agreed to hold additional talks at a later date. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,409 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• U.S. officials have concluded that, contrary to Kremlin claims, Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, according to a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday. [more]

U.S. AND VENEZUELA | Now-deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife are scheduled to appear in a New York City court today after being taken into U.S. custody Saturday in a joint U.S. military and law enforcement operation in Caracas, Venezuela. Reports say Maduro’s attorneys are likely to contest the legality of his arrest on drug and weapons charges, arguing that he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state. [more]

• For background, see the Daily Brief special report from Saturday.
• After initially demanding the immediate release of Maduro, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, now the country's acting president, said yesterday that it is a priority to have respectful relations between Washington and Caracas and that "our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war." [more]
• Cuba said yesterday that 32 Cuban officers acting as part of Venezuela's security operations were killed in the U.S. military mission to capture Maduro. [more]
• Attempting to clarify a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. would "run" Venezuela and its oil industry, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that the United States will continue to enforce an existing oil embargo and related sanctions on Venezuela and use that enforcement as leverage to press for policy changes in the country. [more]

TEXAS | The trial of former Uvalde, Texas, school safety officer Adrian Gonzales begins today in Corpus Christi, Texas. Gonzales is charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment in connection with his alleged inaction during the 2022 mass school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde in which 19 students and two teachers were killed. [more]

CALIFORNIA | A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that California's law prohibiting the open carry of firearms in heavily populated counties is unconstitutional. Reports say state officials are expected to seek a review of the ruling by the full appeals court. [more]

MORE CALIFORNIA | Several northern and central California counties remain under flood watches today following days of heavy rain and predictions of continued precipitation. Flooding and road closures occurred in several areas over the weekend amidst a combination of heavy rainfall and record-setting so-called "king tides." [more]

U.S. AND DENMARK | After U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his view that the U.S. needs control of Denmark's self-governing territory of Greenland "from the standpoint of national security," Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called Trump's rhetoric "entirely unacceptable" yesterday and said the U.S. should stop threatening a historically close ally. [more]

NORTH KOREA | A day ahead of meetings between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, North Korea carried out a series of missile drills yesterday that, according to government officials, included test flights of hypersonic missiles. [more]

IRAN | Reports cite human rights groups as saying ongoing demonstrations in Iran amidst the country's international tensions and economic downturn have spread to more than 200 locations in 26 Iranian provinces and that at least 20 people have been killed, and more than 900 have been arrested, in the protests. [more]

FRANCE | A French court today found 10 people guilty of cyberbullying in connection with their having posted false online claims about France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, including allegations that she was born a man. Sentences for those convicted ranged from cyberbullying awareness training to 8-month suspended prison sentences. [more]

MYANMAR | The military government of Myanmar said yesterday that it has granted amnesty to more than 6,100 prisoners and reduced the sentences of other inmates to mark the 78th anniversary of the country’s independence from Great Britain. [more]

SWITZERLAND | Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation of the managers of the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where 40 people were killed and more than 100 others were injured in a fire during New Year's celebrations last week. [more]

NIGERIA | Emergency response officials in Nigeria's Yobe state say at least 25 people are dead, and 14 others remain missing, after a passenger boat capsized Saturday along the Yobi River near the town of Garbi. Search and rescue efforts continued yesterday, according to local authorities. [more]

MORE NIGERIA | Security officials say at least 30 people were killed, and several others were kidnapped, Saturday when yet-unidentified gunmen opened fire on residents of Kasuwan-Daji village in northern Nigeria’s Niger state. Analysts note that such attacks in Nigeria are often carried out by armed gangs seeking control of territories with limited security and government presence. [more]

GERMANY | Tens of thousands of homes in Berlin, Germany, remain without electricity today after high-voltage power lines in the city were damaged Saturday in a fire that authorities say was caused by a politically motivated attack by “left-wing extremists.” City officials say it could be several days before power is restored to all locations. [more]

FOOTBALL | The 2025-26 NFL regular season ended yesterday with the Denver Broncos having clinched the AFC's No. 1 seed in the playoffs and the Seattle Seahawks claiming the NFC's No. 1 seed. First-round playoff games are scheduled for January 10-12. [full playoff bracket] [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Avatar: Fire and Ash" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $40 million in receipts, followed by "Zootopia 2" and "The Housemaid." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1933, construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. The suspension bridge once boasted the longest main span in the world and has been celebrated for the magnificence of its setting. The bridge was completed in May 1937. [more history]