The edition of
Monday 5 January 2026
13 stories, section by section, the most important first.
International
Switzerland freezes all assets held in the country by de jure Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his associates for four years, following Maduro's abduction and transfer to the United States, and is intending to secure the assets while their legal status is under investigation.
Four Palestinians are killed in an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced refugees in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza. Israel claims it was targeting a Hamas target.
Pakistani counter-terrorism police seize two tons of explosives and arrest three people suspected of being members of the Baloch Liberation Army and planning attacks with them.
United States-mediated talks between Israel and Syria focused on reviving the 1974 disengagement framework resume after a several-month hiatus, with Syria pressing for an Israeli withdrawal from territory entered after the fall of the Assad regime.
Politics
Delcy Rodríguez is formally sworn in as acting and first female president of Venezuela following Nicolás Maduro's abduction and transfer out of the country.
Uganda bans the live broadcasting and streaming of protests and violent incidents and restricts content deemed inciting or hateful ahead of the general election.
Business
A 243 kg (536 lb) bluefin tuna is sold for a record ¥510 million (US$3.2 million) at the Toyosu fish market in Tokyo, Japan.
The Law
De jure Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores plead not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and narcoterrorism in the United States. They will remain in prison until their next court appearance in March.
A Venezuelan decree authorizes a national manhunt for those involved in the American attack.
Three Arab Israelis are killed in two separate shootings in Nazareth and Kafr Qara, Israel.
Science
Nestlé recalls selected batches of infant formula in several European countries after identifying a quality issue in a supplier ingredient that may involve the presence of the toxin cereulide.
Environment
At least 14 people are killed in flash floods in Siau Tagulandang Biaro Islands Regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for 5 January 2026, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.