Morning Briefing: Jan. 4, 2026

By Merve Berker

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday, including US President Donald Trump's announcement that Washington would oversee Venezuela's government during an interim period following the capture of the South American nation's president, Nicolas Maduro, the Yemeni government declaring control of Hadhramaut desert and valley after STC's withdrawal and North Korea firing new year’s 1st ballistic missile toward East Sea.

TOP STORIES

• US will 'run' Venezuela, says Trump after 'large scale' strike

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that Washington would oversee Venezuela's government during an interim period following the capture of the South American nation's president, Nicolas Maduro.

"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Trump told a news conference in the US state of Florida, flanked by senior Cabinet officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The US wants peace, liberty, and justice for the "great people" of Venezuela, he added.

• Yemeni government announces control of Hadhramaut desert, valley after STC withdrawal

The Yemeni government said Saturday its Nation’s Shield Forces took full control of Hadhramaut’s desert and valley region after Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces withdrew, as Yemen’s state-run media reported STC troop withdrawal from Al-Ghaydah airport and the presidential palace in the eastern province of Al-Mahra.

The announcement came in a statement issued by the Hadhramaut local authority and published on its social media accounts. There was no immediate comment from the STC forces.

According to the statement, Hadhramaut Governor Salem Al-Khanbashi declared the successful completion of operations to secure military camps in the desert and valley region.

• North Korea fires New Year’s 1st ballistic missile toward East Sea

North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the East Sea, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said early Sunday.

The JCS said it detected the launch but did not immediately provide additional details such as the missile's type, flight distance, or altitude.

It marked the first ballistic missile test by Pyongyang since Nov. 7, 2025, when a similar projectile was launched into the same body of water.

​​​NEWS IN BRIEF

• Saudi Arabia welcomed a request by Rashad al-Alimi, president of Yemen's internationally recognized government, for a comprehensive conference to discuss "just solutions" to the southern Yemen issue.
• The Pentagon said that no final decision has been made regarding the status of a US Army squadron in South Korea, rejecting reports that the unit had been deactivated, South Korean media reported on Saturday.
• The Yemeni government rejected the Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) announcement of a two-year “transitional phase” leading to a “referendum” on the future of the country’s south.
• Venezuela’s vice president on Saturday denounced the US “abduction” of President Nicolas Maduro following airstrikes, arguing that the military intervention was a thinly veiled attempt at regime change designed to allow the US to seize Venezuela’s significant oil, mineral, and energy reserves.
• Pakistan on Saturday said it successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously developed Taimoor cruise missile weapon system, calling it a milestone in "advancement of national aerospace and defence capabilities."
• Russia on Saturday condemned US strikes on Venezuela, expressing readiness to support “solutions to problems through dialogue.”
• Several British lawmakers on Saturday decried US strikes on Venezuela, calling on the UK government to condemn what they called an "illegal attack on a sovereign nation."
• Venezuela on Saturday requested an urgent UN Security Council meeting following US attacks on the country, Foreign Minister Yvan Gil announced.
• Two Palestinians were killed and 18 others injured by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, in a new violation of a ceasefire agreement, medical sources said.
• The EU foreign policy chief on Saturday called for restraint after US strikes in Venezuela, saying "under all circumstances" principles of international law must be respected.
• Several US Democratic lawmakers on Saturday slammed the Trump administration’s military strikes on Venezuela, calling them "illegal."
• In his first public reaction to the ongoing protests across the country, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said the concerns of merchants are legitimate, but warned there is a “hand of the enemy” behind the recent currency fluctuations.
• Israeli forces staged a new raid in the Quneitra countryside in southern Syria on Saturday, in a new violation of the Arab country’s sovereignty, local media said.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) called on Saturday for de-escalation in Yemen, urging Yemenis to exercise restraint, and solve their differences through dialogue amid unrest in the country’s south.
• Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov on Saturday said that the national security advisers of European countries arrived in the capital Kyiv for talks aimed at ending the ongoing Ukraine war.
• US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on multiple criminal charges, including "narco-terrorism."
• Syria’s central bank officially began the exchange of the country’s new currency on Saturday, following months of preparations.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that the country has a "new chance to finish this war" following meetings in Kyiv with national security advisors from the Coalition of the Willing member states.
• Türkiye said Saturday that it places importance on stability in Venezuela and on the peace and well-being of the Venezuelan people.
• A Sudanese medical group warned Saturday of an imminent health and humanitarian disaster in the city of Dalang in South Kordofan state, citing continued siege and heavy shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep alarm Saturday over US military action in Venezuela, warning that the escalation could have serious implications for the region and international order.
• China on Saturday slammed the US for “hegemonic acts” against Venezuela and its President Nicolas Maduro, referring to military strikes and the leader's capture, urging Washington to abide by the UN Charter.
• Russia on Saturday urged the US to release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were captured after a military operation, calling for dialogue to resolve disputes.
• Hundreds of people gathered in Sweden’s capital Stockholm on Saturday to protest Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza despite a ceasefire and the latest US strikes on Venezuela that also led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.
• Dozens of flights to the Caribbean on Saturday were cancelled by major US airlines after the Trump administration launched what it called a “large scale” attack on Venezuela.
• The UN human rights chief on Saturday said he is alarmed by the situation in Venezuela after US strikes and the capture of the country's president and first lady.
• European governments and officials on Saturday called for de-escalation and respect for international law after US strikes on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, raising concerns over regional stability and civilian safety.
• US President Donald Trump on Saturday voiced frustration over his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
• US President Donald Trump issued a direct warning to Colombia’s president following the US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and took him out of the country.
• Three rockets landed Saturday evening in a residential neighborhood of the Syrian capital and near Mezzeh Military Airport, causing explosions heard across parts of Damascus, Syrian state media reported.
• A transition in Venezuela following the US capture of President Nicolas Maduro must be peaceful and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people, said France’s president on Saturday.
• New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday called the US military operation in Venezuela, which included the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, “an act of war” and a “blatant pursuit of regime change.”
• Britain has long favored political change in Venezuela, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, adding: “We regarded (Nicolas) Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime.”
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday announced plans for a meeting with US President Donald Trump in late January to discuss a peace plan, marking a significant step in ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the war.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Türkiye's exports in 2025 hit record high of $396B: President Erdogan

Exports of goods and services from Türkiye in 2025 reached an all-time high of $396 billion, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

Türkiye has become Europe’s fourth-largest production hub and the world’s 12th-largest, producing 1.5 million vehicles a year and exporting over $41 billion in automobiles, Erdogan said at an event in Istanbul.

President Erdogan said that defense and aviation exports are among Türkiye’s major sources of pride, noting that the country has become a globally recognized player in this field.