Weekly News Brief 1/7/26

Featured Stories

U.S. Says Maduro Ousted After Caracas Strikes; Trump Claims America Will “Run” Venezuela Temporarily

U.S. President Donald J. Trump said Saturday that the United States will temporarily “run” Venezuela after American forces carried out large-scale military strikes in the capital Caracas and detained Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to U.S. officials.

US Captures Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro In Strikes; Leader Flown Out Of Country – Jan.3.2026

At Least Five Killed as Iran Protests Enter Fifth Day Amid Deepening Economic Crisis – Jan.1.2026

Breaking World News

Tear Gas Fired at Tehran Grand Bazaar as Iran Protests Enter Second Week, Currency Hits New Low

Iranian security forces confronted large demonstrations at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on Tuesday with tear gas and a heavy police presence, as nationwide protests entered a second week and the country’s currency plunged to a historic low.

Rubio Says U.S. Aims to Buy Greenland as Trump Keeps Military Option on Table

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers during a closed briefing Monday that recent White House rhetoric about Greenland does not signal an imminent U.S. invasion, emphasizing instead that the administration’s preferred goal is to purchase the island from Denmark, according to people familiar with the discussion.

Britain And France Prepare Ukraine Troop Deployment As U.S. Backs Security Guarantees

Britain and France, both members of the NATO military alliance, have agreed to prepare for the deployment of troops to Ukraine if the war-torn country reaches a peace deal with neighboring Russia.

Venezuela Cracks Down After U.S. Seizure of Maduro, Journalists Detained and Paramilitaries Deployed

Dutch Court Jails Father And Brothers For “Honor” Killing Of 18-Year-Old Woman

Vondelkerk Fire Shakes Amsterdam In Deadly New Year (Worthy News In-Depth) (VIDEO)

Maduro, Wife Plead Not Guilty In First Court Appearance

Iran Regime in ‘Survival Mode’ as Protests Spread Nationwide, Trump Warns of U.S. Action

Scores of Men Killed in South Africa’s Circumcision Practices, Sparking Spiritual Debate

Criminal Investigations After Swiss Bar Fire Kills Dozens (Worthy News Radio)

Search Intensified For Missing Spanish Family After Tourist Boat Sinks In Indonesia

Bulgaria Adopts Euro Amid Celebration And Public Concern

Breaking Israel News

Israel, Syria, U.S. Announce Joint Security Mechanism in Rare Step Toward De-Escalation

Israel, Syria and the United States have agreed to establish a new “joint fusion mechanism” aimed at enhancing security coordination, intelligence sharing and military de-escalation, marking the most significant formal cooperation between Jerusalem and Damascus in decades.

Netanyahu: Israel and U.S. United on Iran as Protests Rock Islamic Republic

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel and the United States are in full agreement on how to confront Iran, describing his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump as a strategic partnership that will drive continued Israeli security successes in 2026.

Israel, Syria to Resume U.S.-Mediated Talks as Trump Presses for Security Deal

Senior Israeli and Syrian officials are set to resume high-level negotiations this week in talks mediated by the United States, marking a renewed diplomatic push after months of stalled progress, according to reports by i24NEWS and Axios.

Trump, Netanyahu: Hamas Must Disarm for Peace Plan to Move Forward

Trump Gives Israel Green Light to Act Against Hezbollah if Disarmament Fails

Immigration From U.S. and Europe to Israel Surges in 2025 Despite Overall Decline in Arrivals

Israel Enforces New NGO Registration Rules, Bars 37 Groups From Gaza and West Bank

Israel, U.S. Give Hamas Two-Month Deadline to Disarm

Boeing Awarded $8.6 Billion Contract for F-15s as U.S. Military Aid to Israel Continues

Trump Signals Backing for Israeli Action Against Iran, Warns U.S. Will Act on Nuclear Threat

Netanyahu Seeks Firm U.S. Guarantees on Gaza, Hostages, and Hamas Disarmament Ahead of Trump Summit

Breaking U.S. News

Trump-Led Federal Crackdown Slashed Violent Crime in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Tuesday that a federal crime crackdown in the nation’s capital has led to dramatic reductions in violent crime, crediting the effort to President Donald Trump’s public safety initiative.

White House Pushes Back on Jan. 6 Narrative, Accuses Democrats of Political Rewriting

The White House marked the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach by launching a new website aimed at challenging what it says is a Democrat-driven distortion of events and years of politically motivated prosecutions against Americans who participated in protests that day.

Ninth Circuit Revives Christian Ministry’s Fight to Defend Faith-Based Hiring Rights

A federal appeals court has handed a key win to religious liberty advocates, allowing the Union Gospel Mission of Yakima to move forward with its constitutional challenge against Washington state’s hiring restrictions.

ICE Deploys Facial-Recognition Technology to Accelerate Immigration Arrests Under Trump

Democrats Accused of Flip-Flop After Trump Removes Venezuelan Dictator Maduro

Congress Faces Govt. Shutdown Date, Health Care Bills, Epstein On Return

U.S. Senate Races Will Decide Balance Of Congress In 2026

Zohran Mamdani Sworn In As New York City’s Mayor

Trump Pulls National Guard From Democrat-Run Cities After Court Defeats, Warns Troops Could Return

Federal Crackdown Targets Massive Fraud Networks in Minnesota

AG Vows Continued Probe Into Alleged ‘Government Weaponization’ Under Obama, Biden

Suspect In Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Case Confesses, According To Officials

Breaking Christian News

Sudan Drone Strike Kills Christians on Way to Christmas Worship

At least 11 Christians were killed and 18 others seriously wounded when a drone operated by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) struck civilians traveling to Christmas celebrations in South Kordofan state on Dec. 25, according to local sources.

Pastor Seriously Injured in Machete Attack Outside Church in Eastern Uganda

A Christian pastor was seriously injured after being attacked by a group of Muslim assailants wielding sharp objects in eastern Uganda, according to an exclusive report by Morning Star News.

Angry Villagers Destroy Christian Homes in Laos, Pastor Tied to a Pole for Evangelism

Tens Of Thousands Of Christians Celebrate Christmas and the New Year In Indonesia’s Capital (VIDEO)

Pakistani Christian Girl, 14, Abducted and Raped, Family Says

Pakistan Pastor Murder Case Takes Dramatic Turn As Police Name Wife, Lover As “Masterminds” (Worthy News Investigation)

Christians Blocked From Christmas Worship In Indonesia’s West Java Amid Extremism Concerns