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The Times of Israel liveblogged Saturday’s events as they happened.
Prominent right-wing agitator, 5 others detained for brawling with protesters in Tel Aviv
Right-wing activist Mordechai David attends a National Security committee meeting at the Knesset, November 24, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Police detained right-wing agitator Mordechai David and five other right-wing counterprotesters for questioning after they brawled with demonstrators this evening in Tel Aviv.
The six were detained close to the start of an anti-government protest at Habima Square, after officers at the scene noticed several people disrupting public order, police say.
According to Haaretz, another right-wing activist broke the camera lens of someone documenting the demonstration. Police distanced the activist from the photographer but did not arrest him.
While being escorted away by a policeman, David claims that he was “detained because leftists attacked him” when he “entered their demonstration and said: ‘King Bibi,'” referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
המשטרה עיכבה לפני מספר דקות את פעיל הימין מרדכי דוד מבני ברק, יחד עם חמישה פעילי ימין נוספים, לאחר שהתעמתו עם מפגיני שמאל במהלך הפגנה בכיכר הבימה. צילום: ישראל בניוק. pic.twitter.com/x4L2ZoKFD0
— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) January 3, 2026
David was convicted of attempted arson for his role in the 2021 riots during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been interrogated several times more recently on suspicion of threatening journalists.
Police also arrested a 16-year-old boy from Bnei Brak, after he was spotted at the protest attempting to set fire to a Pride flag.
Officers apprehended him before he could set the flag alight and took him to the station for questioning.
At Colombia’s request, UN Security Council to convene Monday to discuss US operation in Venezuela
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Monday after the US attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro, a move that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres views as setting “a dangerous precedent.”
Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the meeting of the 15-member council, diplomats say. The UN Security Council has met twice — in October and December — over the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
“This is a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government, freely chosen by our people, and at imposing a puppet government that allows the plundering of our natural resources, including the world’s largest oil reserves,” Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada writes to the UN Security Council.
He says the US violated the founding UN Charter, which states: ” All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”
The US military action overnight constitutes “a dangerous precedent,” Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says in a statement.
“The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect — by all — of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected,” Dujarric says.
Father of Hadar Goldin says return of final hostage Ran Gvili is all of ‘Israel’s issue’
Itzik Gvili, father of slain hostage Ran Gvili, shakes hands with Simcha Goldin on January 3, 2026, in Meitar. (Courtesy of Hostages Forum)
The father of Lt. Hadar Goldin, whose remains were returned from Gaza in November after being held there by Hamas since he was killed in the 2014 war, speaks at a rally in Meitar calling for the release of slain hostage Ran Gvili.
Gvili, a member of the Yamam police unit, was killed battling terrorists at Kibbutz Alumim on October 7, 2023, when his remains were then abducted to Gaza.
Simcha Goldin calls on the government not to move forward to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire without first receiving Gvili’s body.
“If we don’t bring home soldiers from the battlefield, then all soldiers can be abandoned on the battlefield,” says Goldin. “It’s not the family’s issue alone; it’s Israel’s issue, and therefore it’s the issue of the leaders of Israel.”
Other members of Gvili’s family and fellow police officers also address the rally. Former hostage Raya Rotem is present, as is Lishay Miran Lavi, whose husband, Omri Miran, was one of the 20 living hostages freed in October.
EU urges Iran to respect right to protest, calls for immediate release of arrested demonstrators
The European Union is “concerned” by reports of deaths and violence during days-long demonstrations in Iran, calling in a statement for Tehran to exercise “maximum restraint” against the protesters.
Iranian authorities must “uphold the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly” and “immediately” release anyone arrested for peaceful protests, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says in the statement.
Venezuelan VP defiantly declares that Maduro is the country’s ‘only president’
Nicolas Maduro is Venezuela’s “only president,” his Vice President Delcy Rodriguez says, demanding the United States release the strongman arrested in a military operation.
Speaking live from Caracas on television, Rodriguez demands “the immediate release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. The only president of Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro.”
She is flanked by her brother, national assembly head Jorge Rodriguez, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and the foreign and defense ministers.
Rubio hints Cuba could be next in line after Trump takes Maduro out of Venezuela
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hinting that Cuba could be the next target of the Trump administration’s push to restore American dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
Rubio says he would be a bit concerned if he were a Cuban government official following the overnight US military operation in Venezuela that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. “If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned at least a little bit,” says Rubio, who has had a long preoccupation with both Venezuela and Cuba.
The US has had a long history of military interventions in Latin America, including its tacit support for the unsuccessful 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion led by Cuban exiles aimed at toppling Fidel Castro.
Ex-chief justice Barak: Israel ‘no longer a liberal democracy,’ is now under PM’s ‘one-man’ rule
Former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak speaks in a pre-recorded video aired at a rally on January 3, 2026. (X Screenshot)
Former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak declares that Israel is “no longer a liberal democracy,” in a pre-recorded speech at an anti-government rally to mark three years since Justice Minister Yariv Levin revealed the coalition’s plans to overhaul the judiciary.
“This didn’t occur because of a dramatic incident that happened once,” Barak says. “This is a process in which essential aspects of Israeli democracy are under withering attack, and democracy is weakened.”
“Protecting human rights, separation of powers, the rule of law and the independence of the judicial branch are all being weakened,” he continues. “Our system of governance is a rule of one political branch, which in practice is controlled by one man, the same one who rules the government and the Knesset. This is the prime minister.”
PM hails Trump’s ‘bold leadership’ in statement omitting any mention of Venezuela
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues effusive praise of US President Donald Trump following the American operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
In a statement issued by his office that doesn’t mention Maduro or Venezuela, Netanyahu hails Trump’s “bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice.”
“I salute your decisive resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers,” the premier adds.
Iranians living in UK hold London rally to support Iran protesters
Protesters gather with placards outside the gates of Downing Street to attend a London rally in solidarity with Iranian protesters, organized by the Association of Anglo-Iranian Women in the UK, in central London on January 3, 2026, to protest against the Iranian regime's crackdown on protests. (Brook Mitchell/AFP)
Members of the Iranian diaspora rally in London in support of protesters in Iran, where demonstrations have spread to more than two dozen cities over the last week.
Around 100 pro-democracy demonstrators gather outside Downing Street for the rally organized by the Association of Anglo-Iranian Women in the UK, waving Iranian flags, chanting slogans and listening to speeches by speakers.
A separate, similarly sized protest is held nearby in support of the deposed shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his US-based son, Reza Pahlavi.
“It is really important that we show our solidarity with the people of Iran,” Zohreh Zanjani, 65, a former political prisoner in Iran who fled the country three decades ago, tells AFP as she joined the Association of Anglo-Iranian Women event.
“We are trying to make a bridge between the people inside Iran and outside of Iran,” she adds.
“So people like myself, we get courage from the people of Iran’s resistance, and of course they get courage from seeing that their voices have been heard outside.”
Omid Ebrahimi, a 28-year-old doctor born in Iran who moved to Britain as a child, says exiles like him are “very hopeful” watching the protests spread across his birthplace.
“Once again, the Iranian people have shown that this is a dictatorial regime that they do not want,” he tells AFP.
“Everyone is using this as an opportunity to voice their dissent towards this regime… they know the price for freedom, but many of them, they don’t have a choice.
“They don’t see any other alternative to rise up and get rid of this regime, whatever the cost may be.”
IDF says it destroyed rocket launcher in Gaza that was primed for attack on Israel
The Israel Defense Forces says that it destroyed a rocket launcher in northern Gaza that was “loaded and prepared” to be fired at southern Israel, in a violation of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
According to the IDF, the launcher was located in a pit in the ground, and troops took measures “to minimize the risk of harming civilians” before launching the strike.
בתקיפה מדויקת: צה"ל השמיד משגר רקטות טעון ומוכן לשיגור לעבר דרום הארץ
צה"ל תקף בצפון רצועת עזה והשמיד לפני זמן קצר, פיר ובו משגר רקטות טעון ומוכן לשיגור לעבר דרום הארץ.
הפיר שימש את ארגון הטרור חמאס להסתרת משגר הרקטות שהיו מוכנות לשיגור לעבר דרום הארץ והיוו איום ממשי על אזרחי… pic.twitter.com/uxtVqLKhZE
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 3, 2026
After Maduro seized, Trump warns Colombian president to ‘watch his ass’
Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks through a megaphone at an anti-Israel rally in New York, September 26, 2025. (Screen capture: MinCultura Colombia via X)
US President Donald Trump says that his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro — with whom he has sparred in recent months — should “watch his ass” after the US military operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
“He’s making cocaine and they’re sending it into the United States, so he does have to watch his ass,” Trump tells a press conference.
Petro described Washington’s actions as an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America and said they would result in a humanitarian crisis.
Top US general says Maduro and his wife ‘gave up’ to American forces
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine speaks during a press conference with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago club on January 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP)
The US military operation to extract Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a nighttime raid in Caracas took “months of planning and rehearsal,” and more than 150 US aircraft were used, top US General Dan Caine tells reporters.
“The word integration does not explain the sheer complexity of such a mission, an extraction so precise — it involved more than 150 aircraft launching across the Western Hemisphere,” Caine tells a joint press conference with President Donald Trump.
Caine adds that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, “both indicted, gave up and were taken into custody by the Department of Justice, assisted by our incredible US military with professionalism and precision, with no loss of US life.”
Likud minister says capture of Maduro ‘sends clear message to Khamenei’
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli of the ruling Likud party joins in the praise of the US operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, saying it dealt “a fatal blow to the global axis of evil and sends a clear message to [Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei.”
“Maduro didn’t run a country, he ran a criminal and drug empire that directly fueled Hezbollah and Iran,” Chikli writes on X.
He also declares that there is a “full frontal battle between the values of freedom and the West, and the dangerous alliance of radical Islam and Communism.”
Trump says US to ‘run’ Venezuela until ‘safe’ political transition possible
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press following US military actions in Venezuela, at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP)
US President Donald Trump says the United States will “run” Venezuela until a political transition can occur, after the spectacular US military operation to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from the country.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump tells a press conference, adding that US forces were ready to conduct a second, “much bigger” wave of strikes if necessary.
Trump adds that the US military caused a blackout in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, so it could carry out the operation.
“It was dark. The lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have,” Trump says.
He also says he will now allow American oil companies to head into Venezuela to tap its massive crude reserves.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump says.
Trump links capture of Maduro to Soleimani assassination, strikes on Iran nuclear sites
US President Donald Trump, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R), speaks to the press following US military actions in Venezuela, at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP)
Speaking during a new conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, US President Donald Trump links the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to other high-profile operations he has ordered against American adversaries, including the 2020 strike that killed Iranian Quds Force Gen. Qassem Soleimani and the strikes last year on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Trump shares photo of Maduro in handcuffs and blindfold aboard US naval ship
This image posted on US President Donald Trump's Truth Social account shows what he says is Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro onboard the USS Iwo Jima after the US military captured him on January 3, 2026. (Handout/US President Donald Trump's TRUTH Social account/AFP)
US President Donald Trump posts a photo of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in custody on a US naval ship and wearing both a blindfold and handcuffs.
“Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima,” Trump writes on his Truth Social platform, along with a picture showing Maduro hours after he was snatched by US forces.
The Venezuelan leader has on what appeared to be noise-canceling ear muffs and gray Nike-branded sweatpants and a jacket.
Iran reports member of Revolutionary Guards killed in clashes with protesters
TEHRAN, Iran — A member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in a protest in the country’s west after clashes broke out, the Mehr news agency reports, on the seventh day of economic rallies that have expanded to include political demands.
“During clashes in Malekshahi, Latif Karimi, a member of the IRGC, was killed while defending the country’s security,” Mehr says, after earlier reporting a member of the Basij paramilitary force was also killed in western Iran.
Malekshahi is a county of about 20,000 residents with a large Kurdish population, where “rioters attempted to enter a police station,” according to a separate news agency, Fars.
Court issues sweeping gag order on 3-decade old case as ‘dramatic breakthrough’ reported
The Nazareth Magistrate’s Court issues a sweeping gag order barring the publication of details on a three-decade-old case, as Hebrew media outlets report a “dramatic breakthrough” in the investigation.
FM Sa’ar expresses hope for resumption of Israel-Venezuela ties after Maduro removed
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says Israel congratulates American President Donald Trump on the operation to capture Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and his wife, declaring that the United States “acted as the leader of the free world” while expressing hope that Jerusalem and Caracas can reestablish ties.
“At this historic moment, Israel stands alongside the freedom-loving Venezuelan people, who have suffered under Maduro’s illegal tyranny,” Sa’ar says in a statement. “Israel welcomes the removal of the dictator who led a network of drugs and terror and hopes for the return of democracy to the country and for friendly relations between the states.”
“The people of Venezuela deserve to exercise their democratic rights. South America deserves a future free from the axis of terror and drugs,” Sa’ar adds.
France denounces US, claims capture of Maduro violates international law
France condemns the American operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, saying it undermined international law while no solution to the country’s crisis can be imposed from the outside.
Maduro “gravely violated” the rights of Venezuelans, but the military operation that led to him being grabbed “contravenes the principle of non-use of force, which underpins international law,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot writes on X.
“No lasting political solution can be imposed from the outside,” he says, warning that “the increasing violations” of this principle by permanent UN Security Council members “will have serious consequences for global security, sparing no one.”
GOP senator warns leaders of Iran and Cuba after US captures Venezuela’s Maduro
US Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, speaks to the media in Tel Aviv, December 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Levin)
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, an ally of US President Donald Trump, tells the Axios news site that the leaders of Iran and Cuba should be concerned following the American military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
“There is a new sheriff in town. He has put life into the Monroe Doctrine,” Graham says. “If I were the leader of Iran, I would go pray in the mosque.”
Graham also says “all options will be on the table” when pressed if there could be further strikes in Venezuela.
Trump says Venezuela raid shows US ‘not going to be pushed around’
Smoke rises from Fort Tiuna, the main military garrison in Caracas, Venezuela, after multiple explosions were heard and aircraft swept through the area, January 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
US President Donald Trump says after the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro that he will not allow anyone to “take over where he left off.”
“We’ll be involved in it very much. And we want to do liberty for the people,” Trump tells Fox News in a telephone interview, adding that the daring raid by US special forces shows that Washington is “not going to be pushed around.”
Head of Venezuelan ruling party says Maduro and wife were seized at home on military base
Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández tells The Associated Press that Nicolas Maduro and his wife were at their home within the Ft. Tiuna military installation when they were captured.
“That’s where they bombed,” he says. “And, there, they carried out what we could call a kidnapping of the president and the first lady of the country.”
Trump reports several injuries and no deaths among US forces who captured Maduro
The US forces that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro suffered a few injuries and no deaths, President Donald Trump tells Fox News in a telephone interview.
Trump adds that he watched live as US special forces captured Maduro in the daring raid, saying it looked like “a television show.”
“I mean, I watched it, literally, like I was watching a television show. And if you would have seen the speed, the violence,” Trump says.
According to Trump, Maduro was was captured from a highly guarded “fortress.”
Venezuelan VP in Russia after operation against Maduro — sources
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez speaks to the press at the Foreign Office in Caracas, Venezuela, August 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is in Russia, four sources familiar with her movements say, after American President Donald Trump said President Nicolas Maduro had been captured by US forces after an attack on the country.
Her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, the head of the national assembly, is in Caracas, three sources with knowledge of his whereabouts say.
Delcy Rodriguez appeared in an audio message on state television earlier in the day, calling for proof of life of Maduro and his wife Cilia, while Jorge Rodriguez has not appeared since the attack.
Vance says Maduro was ‘offered multiple off ramps’ before capture by US
US Vice President JD Vance issues a statement on the American military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in order to put them on trial in the United States.
“The president offered multiple off-ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says,” Vance writes on X.
“Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.”
Maduro and his wife to face narco-terrorism charges in US, Attorney General Bondi says
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration says that Venezuela’s captured leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife will face “the full wrath of American justice” under drug and terrorism charges.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi posts on X that Maduro and his wife — who were earlier removed from Venezuela by the US military, according to Washington — “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
Bondi recalls the Maduros face charges in New York federal court on existing “Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy” charges.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026
EU says Maduro illegitimate, calls for ‘restraint’ in Venezuela
BRUSSELS, Belgium — The EU calls for “restraint” and respect for international law in Venezuela after President Donald Trump announced US forces had captured leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale assault.
“The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition” in Venezuela, the bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas writes on X after speaking with her US counterpart Marco Rubio.
“Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint,” she writes
Kallas says the EU was closely monitoring the fast-moving situation and that she had spoken to the bloc’s envoy to Venezuela, with the safety of EU citizens “our top priority.”
The EU has not recognized the results of the disputed 2024 election that handed Maduro a third term in power, and has slapped sanctions on dozens of Venezuelan officials for undermining democracy in the country.
The 27-nation bloc has stopped short, however, of formally recognizing opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as Venezuela’s rightful leader, as the United States has done.
Gonzalez Urrutia ran as a last-minute stand-in for opposition figurehead Maria Corina Machado, who was barred from contesting last year’s election.
After the vote, Gonzalez Urrutia fled Venezuela for Madrid, which offered to act as mediator after Maduro’s capture today.
I have spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our Ambassador in Caracas. The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela.
The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles…
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) January 3, 2026
Lapid: ‘Iran should pay close attention to what is happening in Venezuela’
In an apparent threat, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says Iran should take note of events in Venezuela today after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US special forces.
“The regime in Iran should pay close attention to what is happening in Venezuela,” he writes on X.
The regime in Iran should pay close attention to what is happening in Venezuela
— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) January 3, 2026
IDF targets Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon
The IDF says it struck a Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon’s Al-Khiyam a short while ago.
According to the military, the strike was conducted in response to Hezbollah’s “continued violations of ceasefire understandings.”
Arab media reports one dead in the attack.
דיווח לבנוני על תקיפת כטב"מ לעבר רכב בכפר אל-חיאם בדרום לבנון. לפי הדיווח יש נפגעים pic.twitter.com/18J2NnsPFy
— ליאור בן ארי-ليؤور بن أري-Lior ben-ari (@Liorbenari1) January 3, 2026
Iran-linked hackers publish Ayelet Shaked’s texts backing 12-day war
Iran-linked hacking group Handala publishes what they claim to be texts from former lawmaker Ayelet Shaked discussing the 12-day war against Iran in June
The messages apparently show Shaked expressing support for the war, which she says is being conducted “for the whole world,” while in conversation with an unnamed individual.
“As revealed in the released chats, it is evident that during the 12-day war, Ayelet Shaked sought, through unofficial means, to orchestrate an attack against the Leader of the Free, Imam @khamenei_ir,” Handala writes on X, referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Unveiling the Secrets: Inside the WhatsApp Chats of a Minister
As we pledged, we are now publishing the entirety of former Minister Ayelet Shaked’s WhatsApp conversations. This is not merely a matter of transparency, it is a demonstration of our deep and far-reaching access… https://t.co/H8mxtiWPHo pic.twitter.com/kzm3Xqcm5C
— HANDALA (@Handala_Red) January 3, 2026
US senator quotes Rubio as saying US strikes on Venezuela have ended
WASHINGTON — The United States has completed its military action in Venezuela after capturing leftist leader Nicolas Maduro, a US senator says, quoting Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“He anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody,” Senator Mike Lee, a Republican initially critical of the operation, writes on X after what he said was a telephone call with Rubio.
He anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 3, 2026
Khamenei says Iranian protesters’ economic demands ‘fair’ but rioters ‘must be put in their place’
A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him addressing a meeting with students in Tehran, Iran, on November 3, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
TEHRAN, Iran — Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledges the economic demands of Iranian protesters, while warning against what he described as rioting.
“The president and high-ranking officials are working to resolve” the economic difficulties in the sanctions-battered country, Khamenei says in a speech marking a Shiite holiday.
“The shopkeepers have protested against this situation, and that is completely fair,” he adds. while warning that “rioters… must be put in their place.”
Foreign Ministry advises Israelis to avoid travel to Venezuela after US strikes
The Foreign Ministry tells Israelis to avoid travel to Venezuela after the United States conducted strikes and captured President Nicolas Maduro this morning.
Venezuela broke diplomatic ties with Israel over its criticism of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza in 2008-2009.
US says Maduro to ‘face justice; Russia slams ‘armed aggression’; Spain offers mediation with Venezuela
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addresses supporters gathered outside the Miraflores presidential palace after electoral authorities declared him the winner of the presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
WASHINGTON — US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau says Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by US special forces earlier today, will “finally face justice for his crimes.”
Separately, US President Trump tells the New York Times that “a lot of good planning” went into the strikes on Venezuela.
“It was a brilliant operation, actually,” Trump says.
Meanwhile, international reactions to the operation begin to pour in.
Russia is deeply concerned and condemns an “act of armed aggression” against Venezuela committed by the United States, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
“In the current situation, it is important… to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue,” the ministry says in a statement.
Spain calls for de-escalation, moderation, and respect for international law in Venezuela, the Spanish Foreign Ministry says in a statement.
It also offers itself as a negotiator to help find a peaceful solution in Venezuela.
Venezuelan VP says government does not know whereabouts of Maduro or his wife
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, center, his wife Cilia Flores, left, and the president of the Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello, right, arrive at the Federal Legislative Palace in Caracas on January 14, 2019. (Federico Parra/AFP)
The Venezuelan government does not know the whereabouts of President Nicolas Maduro or his wife Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez says morning in an audio announcement played on state TV.
“We demand immediate proof of life of President Nicolas Maduro and the first combatant Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez says.
Venezuelan defense minister says country will resist foreign troops, accuses US of striking civilian areas
Pedestrians walk past the Miraflores presidential palace after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Venezuela will resist the presence of foreign troops, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino says in a video, as US President Donald Trump said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had been captured and was being removed from the country.
A US attack on the country in the early morning struck civilian areas, Padrino says, and Venezuela is compiling information about dead and injured people.
16-year-old Palestinian reportedly hurt by live fire during West Bank settler raid
A 16-year-old Palestinian was shot and injured by an Israeli in the West Bank Palestinian village of Kisan, near Bethlehem, security officials tell the Ynet news site.
According to the Palestinian WAFA news outlet, dozens of Israeli settlers had raided the village in the morning, firing live bullets during clashes with Palestinian residents.
The Red Crescent Society says it treated a pelvic injury to the teen, according to WAFA.
Trump says US captured Maduro after conducting ‘large-scale strike’ on Venezuela
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro waves to supporters during a march to commemorate the 'Day of Indigenous Resistance' in the capital Caracas on October 12, 2025. (Federico PARRA / AFP)
US President Donald Trump says Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro has been captured after the US conducted a “large-scale strike” on the country.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country,” Trump says in a Truth Social post.
Iran denounces ‘American military attack on Venezuela’
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran condemns what it described as an American attack on Venezuela, after Caracas accused the United States of being behind explosions that rocked the capital.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry, in a statement, says it “strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.”
Washington has yet to comment on the blasts in Venezuela.
US striking inside Venezuela, official says
Picture of fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions in Caracas, on January 3, 2026. (Luis JAIMES / AFP)
WASHINGTON — The United States is carrying out strikes inside Venezuela, a US official tells Reuters.
The official, who is speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not provide details.
IRGC says Basij member killed in clash with protesters in western Iran
Illustrative: This grab taken on January 2, 2026, from UGC images posted on social media on December 31, 2025, shows protestors attacking a government building in Fasa, in southern Iran on December 31, amid spontaneous nationwide protests driven by dissatisfaction at the country's economic stagnation. (UGC/AFP)
TEHRAN, Iran — A member of an Iranian paramilitary force was killed during a demonstration in the country’s west, the Mehr news agency reports, on the seventh day of economic protests that have expanded to include political demands.
“Ali Azizi, a member of the Basij, was martyred after being stabbed and shot in the city of Harsin during a gathering of armed rioters,” Mehr says, citing a statement from the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the military that oversees the Basij.
Gunfire heard in Yemeni city amid fighting between Saudi, UAE-backed forces
A video grab taken on January 3, 2026, from images released by Aden Independent Channel (AIC TV) on January 2, 2026, shows the moment a strike hits the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in Seiyun, in the Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen. (ADEN INDEPENDENT CHANNEL (AIC TV) / AFP)
MUKLLA, Yemen — Gunfire rocks the Yemeni city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt province, according to an AFP journalist, amid fighting between forces aligned with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
In December, the Abu Dhabi-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized large swathes of territory in the resource-rich province. A Saudi-led coalition responded with air strikes, which on Friday left 20 dead, according to the separatist group.
Venezuela accuses US of ‘military aggression’; Maduro declares national emergency
Pedestrians run after explosions were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Venezuela rejects “military aggression” by the United States, the government of President Nicolas Maduro says in a statement.
Attacks took place in the capital of Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, the statement says, prompting Maduro to declare a national emergency and call on social and political forces to “activate mobilization plans.”
Trump ordered strikes on Venezuelan military sites — report
Smoke raises at La Carlota airport after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Venezuelan military sites, unnamed US officials tell CBS news.
Blasts were witnessed across the capital of Caracas this morning, as well as in other cities across the country.
Trump administration officials ‘aware’ of blasts in Venezuela, CBS reports
Trump administration officials are “aware” of reports of explosions and aircraft over Venezuela’s capital Caracas early this morning, CBS reporter Jennifer Jacobs posts on X.
The White House and Pentagon do not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
BREAKING: Trump administration officials are aware of reports of explosions and aircraft over Venezuela's capital Caracas early this morning, sources tell @CBSNews. No official comment yet.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 3, 2026
Iranian hacking group claims it hacked Ayelet Shaked’s phone
Iranian hacking group Handala claims to have hacked the phone of former lawmaker Ayelet Shaked
The group appears to post innocuous videos and images of Shaked with family and friends, but threatens, “there are many surprises in store. We advise you to wait for us until this evening, as what will be revealed may completely change your understanding of recent events.”
On Sunday, the hackers claimed that they had cracked the cellphone of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, and a week earlier, they said they had broken into former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s phone.
The Queen’s Secrets: Unveiling the Mysteries Behind Ayelet Shaked
Once again, the cyber world has witnessed the true extent of our power! This time, our target was none other than Ayelet Shaked, the controversial figure and so-called security champion of the Zionist regime.… pic.twitter.com/DhaTm64ZIU
— HANDALA (@Handala_Red) January 3, 2026
Blasts witnessed across Venezuelan capital amid US campaign targeting drug cartel
Footage shows explosions around the Venezuelan capital Caracas, and the southern area of the city, near a major military base, is without electricity.
Low-flying aircraft are heard over the city.
The explosions come as US President Donald Trump, who has deployed a navy task force to the Caribbean, has raised the possibility of ground strikes against Venezuela.
The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of heading a drug cartel and says it is cracking down on trafficking, but the leftist leader denies any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying the US seeks a coup because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.
Washington has ramped up pressure on Caracas by informally closing Venezuela’s airspace, imposing more sanctions, and ordering the seizure of tankers loaded with Venezuelan oil.
US forces have also carried out numerous strikes on boats in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug smugglers.
The deadly maritime campaign has killed at least 107 people in at least 30 strikes, according to information released by the US military.
Están bombardeando Caracas! pic.twitter.com/dH5Dk9A4NS
— Andrés David (@xooxvaez2) January 3, 2026
Israeli basketballer Deni Avdija scores 34 points for Portland Trail Blazers at match against New Orleans Pelicans
Deni Avdija, number 8 of the Portland Trail Blazers, drives the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 2, 2026. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images/AFP)
Israeli basketballer Deni Avdija scored 34 points and dished 11 assists as the Portland Trail Blazers send the host New Orleans Pelicans to a sixth consecutive loss with a 122-109 decision.
Avdija buoyed the Blazers for much of the first half, having scored almost half of Portland’s points deep into the second quarter.
Once his teammates came alive on offense, including Shaedon Sharpe (23 points), the Blazers created separation in the second half after rallying from a 10-point first-quarter deficit.
Portland opened the fourth quarter outscoring the Pelicans 17-7 to build a 20-point lead.
Five Blazers scored in double figures, with Donovan Clingan, Toumani Camara, and Caleb Love joining Avdija and Sharpe.
Love connected on a career-high-matching six 3-pointers en route to 22 points off the bench. Camara added 14 points while Clingan posted 11 points and 15 rebounds. Nine of those boards came on the offensive glass, helping Portland earn a 24-17 advantage on second-chance points.
Kris Murray scored six points, shooting just 1 of 7 from the floor, but his three steals contributed to Portland forcing 15 New Orleans turnovers. The Blazers cashed in the takeaways for 23 points.
In hitting twice as many 3-pointers (16 to eight) as the Pelicans, Portland negated the Pelicans’ 68-46 edge on points in the paint.
Zion Williamson provided the bulk of New Orleans’ interior scoring punch on his way to a season-high 35 points, his third consecutive outing with at least 31. He also grabbed eight rebounds.
With New Orleans missing usual starters Trey Murphy III, Derik Queen, Herbert Jones, and Saddiq Bey, the Pelicans’ lineup around Williamson featured several typical reserves getting opportunities to contribute. Jeremiah Fears responded with 18 points, Jordan Poole scored 16, and Bryce McGowens added 13.
Karlo Matkovic came off the bench to score a season-high 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor, doing the majority of his damage in the first half (12 points).
Former Trump official fetes Iranian protesters, and ‘every Mossad agent walking beside them’
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who served in Donald Trump’s first administration, expresses support for ongoing protests in Iran, as well as any potential Israeli operatives accompanying them.
“The Iranian regime is in trouble. Bringing in mercenaries is its last best hope. Riots in dozens of cities and the Basij under siege — Mashed, Tehran, Zahedan,” Pompeo writes on X>
“Next stop: Baluchistan. 47 years of this regime; POTUS 47. Coincidence? Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking beside them,” he adds.
The Iranian regime is in trouble. Bringing in mercenaries is its last best hope.
Riots in dozens of cities and the Basij under siege — Mashed, Tehran, Zahedan. Next stop: Baluchistan.
47 years of this regime; POTUS 47. Coincidence?
Happy New Year to every Iranian in the…
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) January 2, 2026
Rifle-toting cops to patrol Sydney cricket match as part of heightened security measures after Bondi attack
SYDNEY — Police with long-armed rifles, a rarity at sporting events in Australia, will patrol the final Ashes cricket test in Sydney starting Sunday as part of heightened security measures following the Bondi Beach terror attack in the city.
Uniformed and mounted police along with public order and riot squad officers will watch over the sold-out match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It comes three weeks after two gunmen killed 15 people and injured many more at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi.
The increased visibility of the rifles is intended to reassure the public and there is no threat to the community, New South Wales state Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said Saturday.
“Many people may not be used to seeing police carrying rifles at sporting events, but our objective here is to help the public feel safe and police will be out in force,” he says. “The difference will be in the visibility of long-arms and a stronger presence. Police will otherwise be targeting anti-social and unsafe behavior as usual.”
The measures are similar to those for the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which began December 26 where specialist police officers were armed with semiautomatic rifles and patrolled around the busy stadium, a nearby park and railway station.
UN chief urges Israel to reverse ban on 37 aid groups in Gaza
A truck loaded with humanitarian aid travels along Salah al-Din road in the central Gaza Strip, near Deir al-Balah on November 9, 2025. (Eyad Baba/AFP)
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres calls for Israel to end a ban on 37 humanitarian agencies that provided aid in Gaza, saying he was “deeply concerned” at the development.
Guterres “calls for this measure to be reversed, stressing that international non-governmental organizations are indispensable to life-saving humanitarian work and that the suspension risks undermining the fragile progress made during the ceasefire,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says in a statement.
“This announcement comes on top of earlier restrictions that have already delayed critical food, medical, hygiene and shelter supplies from entering Gaza. This recent action will further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians,” Dujarric adds.
BBC settles with October 7 attack survivors after filming home ‘without permission’
The BBC says it has reached a settlement with an Israeli family who survived Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel after a news crew filmed inside their destroyed home.
The crew, which included senior correspondent Jeremy Bowen, entered the Horenstein family’s home in the days after the attacks in 2023.
“While we do not generally comment on specific legal issues we are pleased to have reached an agreement in this case,” a BBC spokesperson says.
Tzeela and Simon Horenstein and their two young children survived the attack when a door the Hamas terrorists tried to blast open twisted and jammed.
But at the time the news crew filmed in their wrecked home many of the family’s friends and relatives did not know if they were alive.
Tzeela Horenstein tells the UK Jewish News that not only had the terrorists tried to break into their home and murder them “but then the BBC crew entered again, this time with a camera as a weapon, without permission or consent.”
This second “intrusion” had left the family feeling as if “everything that was still under our control had been taken from us,” she adds.
The BBC has reportedly agreed to pay the family £28,000 ($37,000), according to the Jewish News.
Palestinian man reportedly wounded during one of several Sabbath evening settler raids in West Bank
A Palestinian man was injured during a settler raid in the northern West Bank village of Khirbet Ibziq, Palestinian media reports.
The Israeli settler attack was one of several reported across the West Bank on Friday evening.
Settlers reportedly carried out a “patrol” in the southern West Bank village of Burin, where they roamed among residential homes.
Earlier Friday, settlers raided the southern West Bank village of Khallet a-Louza, Haaretz reports.
Clashes broke out when locals tried to push back the settlers. The IDF arrived at the scene shortly thereafter but directed their riot dispersal measures only at the Palestinians. Fifteen were reportedly evacuated for medical treatment after suffering from tear gas inhalation.
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