☕️ The latest on Venezuela

It’s an absolute pleasure to be in your inboxes once again at the start of a new year.

To kick us off, I thought I’d give you a preview of what we know is coming up this year. (And spoiler, it’s a big one for sports fans.) We have:

Strap in.

“While I won’t go into specifics, I can say that I’ve let my family down, and I apologise for my actions which have hurt those closest to me, and for that, I am deeply sorry.”
AFL player Lachie Neal announcing he is stepping down as co-captain of the Brisbane Lions after the recent breakdown of his marriage. During the press conference on Friday, Neal said he “can’t address those rumours” when asked if he cheated on his wife.

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The percentage decrease in Tesla sales for 2025, compared to the year prior. The downturn means Tesla is no longer the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker – that title now belongs to the Chinese company BYD.

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Temperatures across Europe plummeted suddenly, marking the start of what became known as the “Great Frost” – the coldest winter in Europe in 500 years. Thousands of people died.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is in a New York detention centre after ‍U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a raid to capture the South American leader and take control of the country and its oil reserves.

It followed an intense bombardment of Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, by U.S. forces.

Trump has said the U.S. will “run the country until such time as we can do ⁠a safe, proper and judicious transition”.

The U.S.’ actions have been criticised by some international leaders.

Here’s what you need to know.

Before we explain what happened over the weekend, it’s important to understand Venezuela’s political leadership.

Nicolas Maduro became President in 2013 after his predecessor Hugo Chávez was diagnosed with cancer. He is a member of the United Socialist Party (PSUV).

Maduro has been described as a “dictator” by his political opponents and global leaders. Between 2012 and 2020, Venezuela's economy shrank 71%. Under his leadership, millions of Venezuelans have entered poverty, more than 7.7 million people have fled the country, and there has been a violent crackdown on political dissent.

Ahead of the 2024 elections, Maduro banned his opponent, Maria Corina Machado, from running as a candidate. A man named Edmundo González, a former diplomat, then became the leader of the opposition.

Machado was formally declared the winner of the election, however, Edmundo González was widely considered the legitimate winner.

International election analysts and internal opposition parties have both accused Maduro of “stealing” the election, which caused protests to erupt across the country. The government is understood to have arrested up to 2,000 people.

The U.S. has not recognised Maduro as the country’s president since the 2024 election.

For months, the Trump administration has been criticising Maduro over what it called his involvement in shipping drugs to the U.S.

Trump has called Maduro a “narco-terrorist”.

The U.S. ramped up pressure with a massive military build-up in the Caribbean and a series of deadly missile attacks on alleged drug-running boats.

On Saturday, Trump announced the U.S. had carried out a “large scale strike” against Venezuela. The operation involved 150 aircraft and lasted two hours and 20 minutes. During this time, explosions were seen and heard across Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured during the operation. They were transported via helicopter to a U.S. Navy ship offshore before flying to New York.

Images released by U.S. authorities showed the leader handcuffed and blindfolded during the flight (pictured above) and later being led down a hallway at the offices of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, where he was heard wishing a "happy New Year".

Indicted on various federal charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, Maduro is expected to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Monday.

Trump has announced the U.S. will “run” Venezuela until there is a transition of power. He added the U.S. is “not afraid of boots on the ground”.

Currently, U.S. forces have ​no control over the country, and Maduro's government has publicly indicated it will not cooperate with the U.S.

Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, appeared on Venezuelan television, saying: “We demand the immediate release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores”. A Venezuelan court ordered Rodriguez to assume ​the position of interim president.

The UN Security Council plans to meet on Monday to discuss the actions, which Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as "a dangerous precedent".

In the meantime, Trump said ​major U.S. oil companies would move back into Venezuela, which has the world's largest oil reserves, and refurbish badly degraded oil infrastructure.

In response to the events of the weekend, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "We continue to support international law and a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people."

French President Emmanuel Macron added: “We hope that President Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, elected in 2024, will be able to ensure this transition as quickly as possible."

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said: “Spain did not recognise the Maduro ‍regime. But neither will it recognise an intervention that violates international law…”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also condemned the move, saying: "China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the use of force by the US against a sovereign country and the use of force against the president of a country."

In the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack, calls have grown for a federal Royal Commission into antisemitism in Australia.

However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has so far rejected the request, arguing it would only delay action.

So, what is a Royal Commission? Here's what you need to know.

On 14 December, 15 innocent people were killed, and many more were injured, after two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish community event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

Hundreds had gathered to celebrate the start of the Jewish festival of Chanukah.

The mass shooting was declared a terrorist attack.

The massacre has triggered calls for a Royal Commission into antisemitism in Australia.

A Royal Commission is a major investigation into something of great importance to the country.

They are called for by governments (usually the Federal Government), but are carried out independently to minimise conflict of interest.

Once called, the Royal Commission has strong powers to talk to witnesses, request information and consult with experts.

In recent years there have been Royal Commissions into Defence and Veteran suicide, and the Robodebt Scheme.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced there will be a state-level Royal Commission into what led to the terrorist attack in Bondi.

However, there are further calls for a federal one.

Among those calling for a federal Royal Commission are many of the families of the victims of the terrorist attack, who published a letter in the Daily Telegraph asking for a federal Royal Commission “into the rapid rise of antisemitism in Australia”.

The families asked: “Prime Minister, how can you not support a Royal Commission into the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil?”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has also led calls for a Royal Commission.

Earlier this week, Ley said: “The Prime Minister called for unity in the early days after the Bondi massacre. Today we have unity. We have unity of purpose. And we have unity in a request for this commonwealth Royal Commission.”

Others calling for a Royal Commission include Jewish leaders, a group of business lobby groups and business leaders, and two Labor MPs.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected calls for a federal Royal Commission.

Instead, he has outlined a four-part plan to respond to the attack. This entails:

Albanese says having “multiple Royal Commissions” (referencing the NSW one) and the independent review running concurrently would “simply delay action”.

A Women’s International Cricket series is coming — and it’s happening on home soil. Australia will take on India in the NRMA Insurance Women’s International Series, and it’s set to be huge.

This is the rivalry that once packed 80,000+ fans into the MCG, and after India’s recent World Cup triumph, the stakes are sky high. Across three T20Is, three ODIs and a four-day Test match, expect big-hitting moments mixed with the pure drama of international cricket.

It all gets underway at the SCG on Sunday 15 February. This series is where the next chapter of the rivalry unfolds. Tickets are on sale now – don’t miss out!

To compete at the Olympics, athletes must be citizens of the country they are representing. Golubeva was born in Russia, but became a permanent resident of Australia in May last year, and has been competing with Australian Hektor Giotopoulos Moore for four years.

Golubeva told ABC News: "To be honest, it's a big relief for me. I'm really happy about this news … I'm really happy and proud about it."

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Google Trends shows there has been a spike in people searching ‘Nike Tech Fleece’ after the U.S. released the image – shown earlier in this newsletter – of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. (Yes, he’s wearing said fleece in the photo.)

Even ‘Nike Tech Maduro’ became a trending term.

Nike have not yet commented on being the loungewear of choice for the South American leader.

It’s the start of the new year and we are here to give you a preview of what is coming up this year – because it will be a big one!

From the men’s FIFA World Cup, to the census, to the lawsuit between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively finally taking place. We’re here to give you the preview you need.