The World Over Christmas: A Catch up

Keeping up with the news can be difficult, particularly during a well-earned Christmas
break. From political upheaval and international conflict to technological controversy
and medical breakthroughs, December and January saw significant developments
across the globe. Here’s a concise overview of some key things that happened over

the Christmas period.

1. Bondi Attack:

• On the 14 th of December 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl and a
  Holocaust survivor, were killed by two gunmen on Bondi Beach, Sydney.
• The attack targeted Hanukkah celebrations, and the Prime Minister said
  evidence points towards the attack being inspired by Islamic State
  ideology.
• Sydney is preserving a makeshift memorial that was created after the
  attack inside a shop for the public to visit.

1. US and Venezuela:
   Background:

• The US-Venezuela relationship has been strained for over 20 years due to
  ideological differences, oil disputes and sanctions.
• Nicolás Maduro, elected President in 2013 and re-elected in 2024, is
  widely accused of electoral fraud, and under him Venezuela fell into
  severe economic and political crises.
• During Trump’s second term, he intensified pressure on Venezuela.
  What happened?
• On the 3 rd of January 2026, US forces captured Maduro and his wife, and
  transported them to the US, where Maduro faces drug-trafficking charges.
  o Trump describes watching the raid live as ‘like a TV show’.
  o Venezuela claims over 100 were killed during the raid.
  Why?
• The White House blames Maduro for mass migration to the US and for
  facilitating drug trafficking.
• Trump claims he is fighting the influx of drugs from Venezuela, in particular
  fentanyl and cocaine, into the US.
  o However, Venezuela does not produce fentanyl, and Mexico is the
  primary source of the drug entering the US.
  o While cocaine trafficking occurs via Venezuela, the country is not
  highlighted in the DEA’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment,
  which identifies Colombia as a far greater source.
• Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, though production
  has fallen sharply since its 1980 peak, leading critics to argue that
  strategic control of oil is a key US motive.
  What now?
• Trump claims the US is now ‘in charge’ and will ‘run’ the country until an
  alternative government is established.
• Instead of appointing the opposition leader and recent Nobel Peace Prize
  winner María Machado, Maduro’s Vice President Rodríguez has been
  named acting president.

1. Trump and Greenland:

• Following his intervention in Venezuela, Trump began to suggest plans for
  similar action in other countries, in particular Greenland.
• The President said the US needs to ‘own’ Greenland to prevent Russia
  and China from doing so.
• Denmark and Greenland responded by saying the territory is not for sale,
  and that military action would effectively end the trans-Atlantic defence
  alliance.
• In recent years, there has been increased interest in Greenland’s natural
  resources, including rare earth minerals and oil and gas reserves. Trump
  denies this is a motive behind his actions.
• Trump threatened tariffs on countries not supporting his plans, but
  withdrew this threat after a NATO meeting.
• What will happen next is unclear, but talks are continuing and Trump has
  said the US will not use force.

1. Epstein Files:

• The Epstein files consist of over 6 million pages of documents, images,
  and videos detailing the criminal activities of convicted child sex offender
  Jeffrey Epstein and his social circle, which included many politicians and
  celebrities.
• The first files were released on the 19 th of December after the passing of a
  law requiring their release in full.
• Over 3 million pages have been released so far.
• People mentioned or seen in the files, though not necessarily proven
  guilty, include:
  o Donald Trump
  o Lord Mandelson (Secretary of State under Gordon Brown and
  Ambassador to the US until September 2025).
  o Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (younger brother of King Charles)
  o Elon Musk
  o Bill Gates
  o Richard Branson

1. Iran:

• Iran’s economy has been rapidly deteriorating, and on the 28 th of
  December the rial plunged to 1.48 million to the dollar, triggering strikes
  followed by mass protests demanding the overthrow of the unpopular
  Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
• Government response was extremely violent, and an internet blackout was
  enforced.
• Death toll estimates reach up to 30,000, while the Government’s official
  figure is around 3,000.
• Trump encouraged protestors to continue, stating that help was on the way
  and that Iranian authorities would be ‘hit very hard’ if violence continued.
  o Since then, there has been significant US military buildup in the
  region, though no direct action has yet been taken.

1. Grok controversy:

• The chatbot ‘Grok’, of Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter),
  has caused controversy after reports of it altering images to sexualise
  women and children in late December.
• The issue became widespread by early January, with a sharp increase in
  user requests to sexualise images.
• X has since stated that it has introduced new safeguards to prevent Grok
  from producing inappropriate content and has permanently suspended
  accounts involved in illegal activity.

1. ICE:

• Under the Trump administration the Immigration and Customs
  Enforcement agency (ICE), tasked with implementing a mass deportation
  scheme, has expanded significantly and made thousands of arrests,
  triggering nationwide protests and clashes.
• On the 7 th of January in Minneapolis, 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally
  shot by an ICE agent. Authorities claimed she was attempting to ram
  officers with her car, but video and local officials dispute that account.
• On 24 th of January, ICU nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot by an ICE officer
  amid another protest. His death spurred fresh demonstrations.
• Trump initially described Pretti as an ‘agitator’ and ‘insurrectionist’, but
  later acknowledged the killings were ‘very unfortunate’.

1. Prostate cancer drug:

• A life-extending prostate cancer drug, Abiraterone, is to be made available
  to thousands of men in England in a matter of weeks, following a
  campaign by a patient and Prostate Cancer UK charity.
• The drug is already prescribed for patients with very advanced prostate
  cancer, but will now be available on the NHS to high-risk patients whose
  cancer has not yet metastasised.
• The charity estimates around 7,000 men per year will now begin
  treatment.

Together, these events serve as examples of the scale and variety of challenges and
developments currently facing the world, with global affairs unfolding rapidly. As
things change, podcasts (such as The Rest Is Politics), radio stations, and reliable
social media accounts can make keeping up with the news feel more manageable.

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