International News Briefs for Wednesday, January 7, 2026
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Venezuela’s Military Announces 24 Security Officers Were Killed in U.S. Attack
Jan 07, 2026
Venezuela’s military announced that 24 security officers were killed in the U.S. military raid that led to the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Saturday. U.S. officials assess that, overall, 80 people were killed in the attack. Meanwhile, Venezuelan officials are cracking down on any expression of support for Maduro’s abduction. Journalists have been detained, and armed paramilitary groups have been deployed to quell dissent. This comes as the CIA reportedly concluded in a briefing to President Trump that senior Maduro loyalists, including the country’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, were best positioned to ensure the country’s stability. On Tuesday, Rodríguez vowed to defend Venezuela.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez: “This is what President Maduro has named ‘the remarkable challenge 2026’: a Venezuela that refuses to surrender, a Venezuela in active resistance. Venezuelans are a dignified people, a peaceful people forging their own way. It’s Venezuela that has demonstrated to the world our true character, that we’ve become stronger, that we’ve grown spiritually to confront the challenges, the attacks, the threats.”
Trump: Venezuela Will Give the U.S. Up to 50 Million Barrels of Oil
Jan 07, 2026
President Trump says Venezuela will give between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil — worth $2 billion — to the U.S. In a post on social media, President Trump said, “This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Reuters is reporting that the oil was slated to be shipped to China but will be redirected to the U.S. China has been Venezuela’s top importer of crude oil over the past decade.
Secretary of State Rubio Tells Lawmakers Trump Wants to Buy Greenland
Jan 07, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly told lawmakers in a briefing that President Trump intends to buy Greenland, instead of using a military force to seize the autonomous territory controlled by Denmark. This comes as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Trump has not ruled out the use of troops to take over Greenland, saying in a statement, “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal.” Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland have requested a meeting with Secretary Rubio in the near future, according to a statement posted Tuesday to Greenland’s government website. Previous requests for a meeting were not successful, the statement said.
U.S. Pledges to Provide Ukraine with Security Guarantees for the First Time
Jan 07, 2026
The U.S. pledged to provide Ukraine with security guarantees for the first time, which include binding commitments to come to Kyiv’s aid if Russia attacks again. The pledge came at a summit in Paris of Ukraine’s European allies attended by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. French and British officials also signed a declaration to deploy troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities say an overnight Russian attack on Kyiv Monday killed at least two people.
Qatar Accuses Israel of “Political Blackmail” for Refusing to Reopen Rafah Crossing
Jan 07, 2026
In Gaza, Palestinian families said they felt optimistic amid mounting reports, including by Al Jazeera, that the Rafah crossing with Egypt could soon reopen, after more than two years of Israel’s war and blockade. Qatar has accused Israel of “political blackmail” for hindering efforts to reopen the crossing and ensure the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. The reopening of the Rafah crossing was a condition of the first phase of the U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas, which Israel has repeatedly violated since it went into effect on October 10. Doctors Without Borders announced Tuesday that Israel had ordered the aid group to immediately cease all operations in Gaza, claiming they had failed to comply with new restrictions, including sharing detailed information about Palestinian and international staff, funding and operations.
In news from the occupied West Bank, at least 11 Palestinians were injured after Israeli forces raided Birzeit University Tuesday, north of Ramallah, reportedly firing live rounds, sound grenades and tear gas on crowds.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar Visits Somaliland
Jan 07, 2026
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was in Somaliland Tuesday. The visit was strongly condemned by Somalia and came just over one week after Israel became the first and only nation to recognize the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland as a sovereign state. This is the de facto leader of Somaliland.
bq. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi: “It reflects not only political recognition, but also a shared commitment to transform that recognition into a substantive, forward-looking and strategic partnership.”
At Least 34 People Killed During Protests in Iran
Jan 07, 2026º
In Iran, over two dozen protesters have been killed during the past 10 days of protests across the country. That’s according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, which reported at least 34 protesters have been killed and over 2,000 arrested. The protests began on December 28 over Iran’s worsening economic situation, including a collapsing currency and high inflation. Many attribute the economic crisis partly to harsh U.S. sanctions on Iran.
ICE Arrests 150 People After DHS Surges 2,000 Agents to Minnesota
Jan 07, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security says it arrested 150 people Monday in Minneapolis following a surge of 2,000 ICE agents to Minnesota to probe alleged fraud at child care facilities. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accompanied ICE officers during an arrest. In the video, she tells the handcuffed man, “You will be held accountable for your crimes.” Minnesota’s Democratic Governor Tim Walz said that the ICE officers were not cooperating with local authorities and were simply a “show for the cameras.”
Trump Admin Slashes $10 Billion in Funding for Social Programs in Five Democratic-Led States
Jan 07, 2026
Image Credit: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The Trump administration is slashing $10 billion in funding for social programs for families with children in five Democratic-led states. Trump officials have claimed the move is due to alleged fraud concerns amid the recent scandal in Minnesota involving fraud at child care facilities. But Democratic lawmakers have condemned this as an act of political retribution. The five targeted states are California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York. Among the impacted programs are the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes daycare for low-income households, and assistance for parents living in poverty to receive cash aid for diapers and other needs and to attend job training. The group Fair Share America said in a statement, “Rather than an isolated decision, this is part of a clear and dangerous pattern.”
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Votes to Dissolve Itself
Jan 07, 2026
Image Credit: cpb.org
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the primary funder of PBS, NPR and many local television and radio stations, has voted to dissolve itself. The CPB vote came after the elimination of federal funding and what its board called “sustained political attacks.” The CPB had been in operation since 1967, with the aim of supporting noncommercial and educational public media throughout the United States.
American Federation of Teachers Sues Texas Education Department for Probing Teachers’ Speech After Charlie Kirk’s Death
Jan 07, 2026
The Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Texas’s education department for targeting hundreds of educators for their social media posts on the assassination of the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The lawsuit says, “Public school teachers and other employees do not surrender their first amendment rights simply by virtue of their employment.” The lawsuit is challenging a letter sent by the Texas education department to school superintendents, instructing them to report educators who made “reprehensible and inappropriate” remarks about Kirk.
GOP Congressmember Doug LaMalfa of California Dies at 65
Jan 07, 2026
Republican Congressmember Doug LaMalfa of California died at the age of 65, according to Republican officials. His death narrows the GOP’s majority in the House to just 218 seats over 213 for Democrats, following the departure of Republican Congressmember Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. LaMalfa was a prominent ally of President Trump and challenged the outcome of the 2020 election, voting against certifying the results.
Trump Warns Democrats Will Impeach Him If Republicans Don’t Win Midterm Elections
Jan 07, 2026
Speaking to House Republicans at their retreat Tuesday, President Trump warned that the Democrats would impeach him again if the GOP doesn’t win the midterm elections.
President Donald Trump: “You got to win the midterms, because if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be — I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached. We don’t impeach them. You know why? Because they’re meaner than we are. We should have impeached Joe Biden for a hundred different things.”
President Trump then wrapped up his speech with a bizarre dance before lawmakers.