Crisis and Reconstruction: Maduro's Contested Term, Post-Assad Sanctions Talks, and L.A.'s Wildfires

Good Morning,

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a contested third term amid accusations of electoral fraud, global condemnation, opposition protests led by María Corina Machado, and new international sanctions, European and Middle Eastern diplomats, meeting in Riyadh after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, called for lifting sanctions on Syria to aid reconstruction, and Firefighters in Los Angeles battle to contain wildfires that have claimed 24 lives, destroyed thousands of homes, and left 16 missing.

Top Stories

• Venezuela’s Maduro takes new oath amid protests and international rebuke (AP)

• Tougher U.S. sanctions to curb Russian oil supply to China and India (RT)

• EU agrees to tackle Syria sanctions as Western, Arab leaders meet in Riyadh (AJ)

• China’s imports post surprise growth in December, exports also beat expectations (CNBC)

• 24 dead as fire crews try to corral Los Angeles blazes before winds return this week (AP)

• Before Taking Office, L.A.’s Mayor Said She Would Not Go Abroad (NYT)

• Trump’s New Economist Makes the Case for 20% Tariffs (WSJ)

• UK’s Starmer touts plan to ‘turbocharge’ living standards with AI (AJ)

• Zelensky offers to release captured North Korean soldiers in exchange for Ukrainian soldiers held in Russia (CNN)

• Bezos sees no threat from Musk-Trump ties in space race (RT)

• Biden and Netanyahu discuss the latest in the effort to reach an Israel-Hamas war ceasefire (AP)

• Italy Frees Iranian Wanted by U.S. (WSJ)

• Japan PM asks Biden to allay concerns over Nippon Steel-US Steel deal (RT)

• Vance says Jan. 6 participants who committed violence ‘obviously’ shouldn’t be pardoned (AP)

United States and Canada

• Fired US Center for SafeSport investigator arrested on new charges (AP)

• Trump prosecutor Jack Smith resigns from Justice Department (RT)

• Newsom Suspends State Environmental Rules for Rebuilding After Fires (NYT)

• A Mississippi police officer has been suspended without pay after a chase that led to 3 deaths (AP)

• Trump Discusses Tax Cuts for New Yorkers With G.O.P. Lawmakers (NYT)

• Fire department funding and recruitment policy come under scrutiny as deadly Los Angeles blazes rage on (CNN)

• Activists back US professor ‘forced’ from Columbia over Palestine advocacy (AJ)

• Florida agency sues company linked to congressional Democrat, alleging company won’t give back $5.8M (AP)

• Trump avoids punishment at hush-money sentencing (RT)

Africa

• France hands over Abeché base ahead of troop withdrawal (AN)

• Mexico sends firefighters to California to help with raging blazes (RT)

• Chad’s ruling party wins majority in controversial parliamentary election (AJ)

• Kagame urges DRC to negotiate with M23 rebels (AN)

• Lakurawa, the new armed group wreaking havoc on the Nigeria-Niger border (AJ)

• Sudan's military takes back strategic city from RSF forces (AN)

• Voters in Comoros head to polls to elect 33-seat parliament (RT)

Middle East

• Top Israeli security delegation in Doha for Gaza talks (RT)

• Trump's Ukraine envoy says world must reinstate 'maximum pressure' on Iran (RT)

• Crowd crush at free lunch event at Damascus mosque kills four people (AJ)

• Israel identifies body of hostage recovered from Gaza, days after father’s remains were found (CNN)

• Druse Leader Aims to Secure Place for Syrian Minorities (NYT)

• Syria's al-Sharaa meets Lebanese PM in bid to improve long-fraught ties (RT)

• Iran holding war games as it faces Israel tensions, Trump's return (RT)

Indo-Pacific

• Indonesia and Japan promise deeper defense and economic ties as regional tensions spike (AP)

• Yoon will not attend first impeachment trial hearing, Yonhap reports (RT)

• New York’s Chinese Dissidents Thought He Was an Ally. He Was a Spy. (NYT)

• Japan, Philippines, U.S. vow to deepen cooperation, Manila says (RT)

• Japan slaps new sanctions on Russia and groups in other nations that allegedly helped it evade bans (AP)

• South Korea, Japan foreign ministers to meet amid political turmoil in Seoul (RT)

• South Korean lawmakers seek independent probe as Yoon’s lawyers warn detention may spark ‘civil war’ (AP)

Europe

• Six killed in explosion at Czech restaurant (RT)

• Croatia’s President Milanović wins another term after defeating ruling party candidate in runoff (AP)

• Britain’s First Supervised Drug Use Room Is Set to Open in Glasgow (NYT)

• Russia claims to have seized two new villages in eastern Ukraine (AJ)

• Sweden to contribute up to 3 warships to reinforced NATO presence in the Baltic (AP)

• Moldova's separatist Transdniestria region reduces Sunday's blackouts (RT)

• Germany sets up military division dedicated to territorial defence (RT)

Latin America

• Venezuela condemns new US and European sanctions (RT)

• An ex-Green Beret behind a failed Venezuela raid in 2020 lashes out at CIA and FBI (AP)

• Autoridades rescataron cuerpos de las diez víctimas del accidente aéreo en Urrao: estaban a 9.700 pies de altura (SM)

• Biden extends deportation relief for 900,000 immigrants from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine and Sudan (RT)

• Brazilian police investigate attack on workers’ settlement that killed 2 (AP)

• Luis Juez dice que deja la presidencia del PRO en el Senado y que quiere ser el candidato a gobernador de Javier Milei en Córdoba (CA)

• Motorizado que trasladaba a María Corina Machado está detenido a pesar de necesitar una cirugía (LN)