The day

Saturday 3 January 2026

13 stories, biggest first.

1. 1

   News2026 United States strikes in Venezuela

   Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, first lady Cilia Flores, are captured by U.S. forces and flown out of the country. Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodríguez becomes acting president.

2. 2

   News2026 United States strikes in Venezuela

   The United States carries out airstrikes around Caracas, Venezuela, killing at least 40 people, including civilians and military personnel. A national state of emergency is declared following the strikes.

3. 3

   News2026 United States strikes in Venezuela

   After being held aboard the USS Iwo Jima, Maduro is taken to New York, where U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi says he has been indicted on drug and weapons charges.

4. 4

   News2026 United States strikes in Venezuela

   Footage shows United States Marine Corps Bell AH-1Z Vipers striking Fort Tiuna and Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base with Hellfire air-to-surface missiles during the operation. Fort Tiuna is later evacuated.

5. 5

   Crime2025–2026 Iranian protests

   Four more protesters are shot dead by security forces in Malekshahi County, Ilam province, Iran.

6. 6

   News2025 Sumy offensive

   At least eight people are killed and 42 others are injured in overnight Russian attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Sumy Oblasts of Ukraine.

7. 7

   NewsNigerian bandit conflict

   At least 30 people are killed and others kidnapped by armed bandits in a raid on a village market in Borgu, Niger State, Nigeria. The market was also looted of food before being set on fire.

8. 8

   News2026 arson attack on the Berlin power grid

   An arson attack on the Teltow Canal targeting the Lichterfelde gas-fired power plant causes a power outage in south Berlin, with tens of thousands affected.

9. 9

   Sport2026 PDC World Darts Championship

   In professional darts, English player Luke Littler wins a second PDC World Darts Championship back-to-back after defeating Dutch player Gian van Veen 7–1 in the final.

10. 10

    News

    26 people are killed and 14 others are missing after a boat carrying 52 passengers capsizes in Nguru, Yobe State, Nigeria.

11. 11

    NewsWar against the Islamic State

    British and French aircraft carry out a joint strike on an underground facility alleged to be occupied by the Islamic State near Palmyra in central Syria.

12. 12

    MoneyEconomy of Syria

    The Central Bank of Syria begins exchanging old banknotes for a new currency that removes two zeros from the previous denominations, with 100 old pounds converted to one new pound, as part of economic stabilization measures following the change in government.

13. 13

    News

    Six people are killed after a car collides with a minibus taxi near Fouriesburg, South Africa.

Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for 3 January 2026, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.