BitGou: Maduro opponent Machado vows to return

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Daily Briefing

By Kate Turton

Hello. Venezuela is still the top story, with Maduro's opponent Machado vowing to return and Mexico stressing its own sovereignty. Meanwhile, Ukraine's allies meet, and rights groups say at least 25 are dead in Iran protests.

To all those readers who sent us feedback at the end of last year, thank you, we appreciate it.

Today's Top News

A person holds up an image depicting Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, Santiago, Chile. REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza

Venezuela

Venezuela's main opposition leader Maria Corina Machado praised President Donald Trump for toppling her enemy Nicolas Maduro and declared her movement is ready to win a free election.
An unknown trader has raked in a profit worth about $410,000 after betting that Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro would be ousted from his position.
"It was a pretty remarkable hearing to watch Maduro being led in, in shackles (and) prison garb." Jack Queen tells the Reuters World News podcast what it was like to be in court for the appearance of the captured Venezuelan leader.

In other news

Security guarantees for Ukraine will include 'binding commitments' to support the country 'in the case of a future armed attack by Russia in order to restore peace', a draft statement from the "Coalition of Willing" of Kyiv's allies stated.
No safety inspections were carried out since 2019 at the Swiss bar that burst into flames at New Year, killing 40 people, the mayor of the ski resort of Crans-Montana said.
At least 25 people have been killed in Iran during the first nine days of protests that started in the bazaar of Tehran over the plunging value of the currency and soaring inflation, according to rights groups.
Democrats in the US House of Representatives will mark the fifth anniversary of a deadly attack on the Capitol with an unofficial hearing that will probe "ongoing threats" to elections and public safety.
US officials are building a case that ongoing measles outbreaks in South Carolina and other states are unrelated to last year's major outbreak in Texas, as it tries to retain its status of having eliminated the disease after recording the highest number of confirmed infections in three decades.

Business & Markets

Geopolitics, US midterm elections and diverging monetary policies are among key drivers for world markets in 2026, alongside an artificial intelligence boom that has raised concerns about a tech share bubble.
India's competition watchdog has found market leaders Tata Steel, JSW Steel, state-run SAIL and 25 other firms breached antitrust law by colluding on steel selling prices, a confidential document shows, putting the companies and their executives at risk of hefty fines.
Nestle said it is recalling some batches of its key infant nutrition products, including SMA, BEBA and NAN infant and follow-on formulas, across Europe due to potential contamination with a toxin that could cause nausea and vomiting.
The European Commission said that the images of undressed women and children being shared across Elon Musk's social media site X were unlawful and appalling, joining a growing chorus of officials across the world who have condemned the surge in nonconsensual imagery on the platform.
CES 2026 is underway — and the focus is shifting. Self-driving cars, humanoid robots and next‑generation AI chips are taking center stage as automakers pivot away from EVs. Reuters Morning Bid breaks down what investors are watching.

Mexico condemns attack on Venezuela while seeking to avoid its fate

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico City. December 6, 2025. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

In the wake of the US attack on Venezuela, the Mexican government has found itself traversing the most delicate balancing act since Trump began his second term: strongly condemning the operation while doubling down on bilateral cooperation lest Mexico finds itself in Trump's crosshairs next.

Hours after the elite US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in their home, Trump floated the prospect of US military action inside Mexico, saying drug cartels are "running" the country and that "something is gonna have to be done with Mexico."

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And Finally...

Pope Leo XIV leads the Mass for the Epiphany of the Lord in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, January 6, 2026. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

Pope Leo closed the Catholic Church's Holy Year by sealing shut the special "Holy Door" in St. Peter's Basilica and urging Christians worldwide to help those in need and treat foreigners with kindness.

Leo has made care for immigrants a central theme of his early papacy.

Read more

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