Kenyan Counties Risk Sh33.5 Billion Loss to Ghost Workers in 2024/25

 According to multiple reports, US President Donald Trump announced early on January 3, 2026, via Truth Social that the United States had conducted a "large-scale strike" against Venezuela, resulting in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were then flown out of the country.

The operation was described as coordinated with US law enforcement, with Trump scheduling a press conference at Mar-a-Lago later that day for further details. This follows months of escalating US pressure on Maduro's regime, including threats over drug trafficking and oil disputes.

Explosions were reported in Caracas and surrounding areas, including near military bases, with low-flying aircraft observed and power outages in parts of the city.Venezuelan officials, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, denounced the strikes as "military aggression" and an "imperialist attack" aimed at seizing the country's oil and minerals, declaring a national state of emergency and calling for public mobilization.