Category: World news

(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump said the U.S. “successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela” and said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the Country.”

The announcement on Trump’s social media platform came shortly before 4:30 a.m. Saturday a few hours after several explosions were heard in Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas, witnesses said, and photos and videos showed plumes of smoke and a large fireball in the night sky.

Trump said the operation was carried out in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement and said he would hold a news conference at 11 a.m. from Mar-a-Lago.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts” on a slew of charges in New York, including “narco-terrorism conspiracy” and “cocaine importation conspiracy” as well as weapons charges. Maduro has faced the charges in New York for years.

Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News Maduro was being flown to New York. While the sources did not specify where Maduro will be held, defendants awaiting trial in federal court in Manhattan are customarily held at MDC-Brooklyn.

The operation that led to Maduro’s capture was carried out by the Army’s Delta Force after the CIA had identified the leader’s precise location, according to two people familiar with the operation. Delta Force is an elite special operations group of soldiers trained in secret counterterrorism operations and hostage rescues.

One person told ABC News that Trump had given the green light to capture Maduro several days ago and troops were ready to strike on Christmas Day, but were delayed due to military airstrikes in Nigeria against ISIS. Subsequent opportunities were postponed partly due to weather, the person said.

CBS first reported the details on the operation.

In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, President Trump celebrated what he called the success of the mission to capture Maduro, who the U.S. has considered the head of a foreign terrorist organization since a November designation.

“A lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people,” Trump told The New York Times. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.”

When asked whether he had sought congressional authorization for the operation or what would come next for Venezuela, Trump said he would address those matters during his news conference at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday morning.

‘No further action’ anticipated

Republican Sen. Mike Lee, of Utah, said in a post on X that he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the phone about the actions being taken in Venezuela after initially asking “what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force.”

According to Lee, Rubio said that Maduro had been “arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States,” and that the “kinetic action” was taken to protect those executing the warrant.

He also said that Rubio told him he anticipates “no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody.”

“This was an incredibly dangerous operation to conduct,” said ABC Contributor Mick Mulroy, a former CIA officer and senior Pentagon official. “It required precise intelligence, detailed planning and flawless execution by these Delta operators and all the support, especially the [Joint Special Operations Command] air component, to pull it off in the manner that they did.”

Senate and House Republicans praised Trump’s actions, with Sen. Rick Scott, of Florida saying “a new day is here for Venezuela and Latin America” in a post on X and Sen. Tom Cotton, of Arkansas saying Maduro “wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation.”

But the action was criticized by Democrats.

Sen. Ruben Gallego, of Arizona, blasted Trump’s move, calling it the “second unjustified war in my life time” in a post on X. “This war is illegal, it’s embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in less than one year. There is no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela.”

The latest events come amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela including a build-up of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean and the targeting of alleged drug-smuggling boats.

Some 15,000 U.S. military personnel were in the area as well as the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier.

The operation also comes a short time after the first-known land strike carried out against a dock where Trump said drugs were being loaded onto boats.

International reaction

The Venezuelan government issued a statement condemning what it called “the grave military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America” in Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.

In addition, President Nicolas Maduro ordered the implementation of national defense plans, and declared a “state of External Disturbance throughout the national territory,” according to the statement.

Russia condemned the action as “an act of armed aggression against Venezuela” and said it wanted to prevent “further escalation,” according to the country’s Foreign Ministry. And Colombian President Gustavo Petro said “Alert the world: Venezuela has been attacked!” in a post on X. But Trump ally and Argentinian president Javier Milei praised the move.

The U.S. has long considered Maduro the head of a corrupt dictatorial regime. In 2024, Maduro declared victory after a widely disputed presidential election for a third term.

US recently declares Maduro head of terror organization

In an unprecedented move in November, the Trump administration declared Maduro the head of a foreign terrorist organization, citing alleged links to drug cartels, which Maduro denied.

The designation put the Venezuelan leader on the same list as terror networks like al-Qaeda and the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. In August, Rubio announced the U.S. had increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest from $25 million to $50 million.

Maduro has faced charges in the United States of narcotics-terrorism since 2020, when federal prosecutors in New York accused him of partnering with a Colombian rebel group to “flood the United States with cocaine in order to undermine the health and wellbeing” of the nation.

The charges include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons possession conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that Maduro and 14 current or former officials ran a vast criminal enterprise for the last 20 years, using state resources to fuel the international drug trade, including in the U.S.

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(CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland) — Investigators probing the deadly New Year’s Day fire at a Swiss resort bar are looking into the possibility that it started from sparklers that were too close to the ceiling.

Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Attorney General, told reporters Friday that investigators were still conducting interviews and going through evidence from the wreckage at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana but she said that they are “pursuing several hypotheses,” based on the evidence they’ve gathered so far.

“We currently assume that the fire was caused by sparklers attached to champagne bottles that came too close to the ceiling,” she said at a news conference.

“Initial evidence has been secured at the scene,” Pilloud added.

Forty people were killed and 119 people were injured in the blaze, according to authorities who said the fire spread very rapidly.

Investigators are working to identify the deceased victims.

“No mistakes can be permitted. We need to give the correct remains back to the families,” Pierre-Antoine Lengen, the head of the Swiss Judicial Police, told reporters.

Of the injured, 71 were Swiss citizens, 14 were French, 11 were Italian, and others were from Bosnia, Serbia, Portugal and Belgium, according to officials.

The nationalities of the 14 other injured victims were not immediately determined.

Pilloud said that more interviews will be conducted and noted that investigators spoke with the two French managers of the bar.

“For now, there is no penal liability which has been identified,” she said when a reporter asked about any liability.

Investigators are also looking into the building’s safety measures and building regulations, according to Pilloud.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(LONDON) Around 40 people were killed and 115 others were injured early on New Year’s Day, when a fire ripped through a popular bar in a resort town in the Swiss Alps, police said.

The Swiss president said the fire caused one of the worst tragedies that the country has ever experienced.

A blaze of “undetermined origin” broke out at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana at about 1:30 a.m. local time, the Cantonal Police of Valais said in a statement.

Investigators were working on Thursday to determine the cause of the fire, officials said during a morning press conference. The incident was not being investigated as an attack, they added.

“A large contingent of police, firefighters, and rescue personnel immediately responded to the scene to assist the numerous victims,” police said in their statement.

A no-fly zone was put in place over Crans-Montana, police said in their statement. The resort town is popular with skiers and sits in Switzerland’s southern Sierre District in the Canton of Valais.

Police have not released the identities of those who were killed in the blaze. Officials on Thursday said it was likely, given the popularity of the area with travelers, that some of the deceased were tourists who traveled to the Alpine town to ski and to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

The French Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that at least two French nationals were among the injured. Both were being treated in local hospitals, the ministry said. French officials were “in constant contact with the Swiss authorities in case other nationals are affected,” the ministry added.

ABC News’ Tom Soufi-Burridge contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) — Countries across the globe are beginning to usher in 2026.

The Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first to ring in the new year, while Alaska and Hawaii will be among the last places to say goodbye to 2025.

New Zealand

At 6 a.m. ET, New Zealand was one of the first countries to reach 2026, ringing in the new year with a fireworks display.

Australia

In Australia, fireworks over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge went along as planned, but law enforcement presence was ramped up in Sydney in the wake of this month’s mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.

Earlier in the night, people gathered at the bridge to honor the Bondi Beach victims.  

Japan

In Tokyo, Japan, revelers rang in 2026 at 10 a.m. ET.

South Korea

In Seoul, South Korea, fireworks were lit over the massive Lotte World Tower.

China

In Beijing, China, people gathered at one of the most famous sections of the Great Wall.

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(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump should visit Ukraine, amid the latest U.S.-led push for a peace deal to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

“He talks about advocating a plan to end the war,” Zelenskyy said of Trump, answering questions in a group WhatsApp chat with reporters.

“I told him that we would be glad to see him. It is very useful for Ukraine. If U.S. President Trump flies to Ukraine, and it is desirable that he flies by plane not to Poland, but to Ukraine, then this will indicate that we definitely have the opportunity to count on a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said.

Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that the negotiating teams are “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to achieving a peace deal to end Moscow’s invasion, which has been ongoing since February 2022.

Zelenskyy traveled to Florida to meet with Trump on Sunday and discuss a 20-point plan that he described as a possible foundation for the end of the war. Trump also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone before and after meeting Zelenskyy, the White House said.

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is discussing the possibility of an American troop presence as part of a settlement, and as part of the post-war security guarantees Kyiv says it needs to prevent a repeat Russian attack.

“These are U.S. troops and that is why it is America that makes such decisions,” Zelenskyy said. “Of course, we are discussing this with President Trump and with representatives of the ‘Coalition of the Willing.'”

“We would like this. This would be a strong position in security guarantees,” Zelenskyy added.

Zelenskyy also denied Russian reports of a rift between the U.S. and Ukraine. On Monday, Moscow accused Kyiv — without providing any supporting evidence — of launching a drone attack on Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region. 

After speaking with Putin by phone about the alleged attack, Trump said he was “very angry,” though also acknowledged that it may not have happened.

“Despite all the media accusations of the Russians about the breakdown of our talks with the Americans, we are working every day,” Zelenskyy told reporters.

The Ukrainian president said there had been “several calls” on Tuesday between Rustem Umerov — the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council and a key negotiator — and American representatives, among them presidential envoy Steve Witkoff. “We are discussing our next steps,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also posted to social media on Tuesday previewing a gathering of national security advisers of the mostly European “Coalition of the Willing” nations in Ukraine on Jan. 3, which is expected to be followed by a meeting of national leaders in France on Jan. 6.

Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, made in February 2023 a surprise trip to Kyiv, where he met with Zelenskyy prior to the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Biden flew into Poland and undertook a 10-hour train journey to get to the Ukrainian capital, senior administration officials said at the time.

Both Russia and Ukraine continued their exchange of long-range drone strikes overnight.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 127 drones into the country overnight into Wednesday morning, of which 101 were shot down or suppressed. Twenty drones impacted across 11 locations, the air force said.

The southern port city of Odesa was among the targets of the latest overnight barrage, officials said.

Odesa Gov. Oleh Kiper said in a post to Telegram that at least six people were injured by Russian drone strikes, among them three children. One adult was hospitalized and is in a critical condition, Kiper said.

“In total, four multi-apartment residential buildings, at least 14 cars and private garages were damaged,” Kiper said.

“These attacks are another indication of the terrorist tactics of the enemy, who deliberately attacks the civilian infrastructure of peaceful cities in the Odesa region, threatening the lives and health of people,” the governor added.

Kiper also reported at least two fresh strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the Odesa region. “Overall, during December, 10 substations in Odessa and the region were damaged as a result of enemy shelling,” he wrote. “Since the beginning of the year, Russia has attacked 25 energy facilities in the region.”

“The damage is significant and the repair work will take time,” Kiper said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces shot down 86 Ukrainian drones overnight into Wednesday morning, of which 56 were reportedly downed over the Black Sea.

Rosaviatsiya — Russia’s federal air transport agency — reported temporary flight restrictions at airports in the southern Russian cities of Gelenjik and Krasnodar, as well as in Ivanovo and Yaroslavl which both sit northeast of Moscow.

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